


Water Under the Bridge

by Anghelic



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-27
Updated: 2017-01-11
Packaged: 2018-07-27 04:19:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 50,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7603132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anghelic/pseuds/Anghelic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leo isn't able to change their past, but he does his best to make their future together just a little bit brighter. Leo x Sakura. Modern/Reincarnation AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> AN: I have no self control and wrote this because a soulmate/dream au prompt on Tumblr screamed Leo x Sakura. This'll have Conquest spoilers (and I guess Birthright spoilers too), so watch out for that.
> 
> Also, thank you Rapis-Razuri for betaing (is that a word?) this mess.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it!

 

Elise practically bounces from wall to wall as she speaks of all the fun things they'll get to do with Corrin tomorrow. She mentions playing tag and a few other juvenile games that Leo didn't bother to catch the name of. He scolds her, telling her to relax and keep her voice down. She visits Corrin daily, there's no need for her to get so excited, especially right before her bedtime.

His sister's response is to blow a raspberry, before commenting about how jealous he is. When he doesn't respond, she adds that he is just excited as her. Why does she have to be the one to calm down? It's because unlike her, _he's_ able to keep his emotions in check. A small grin breaks out between rosy cheeks.

" _Ohhh,_ " Elise coos. "So you _are_ as excited as I am!"

Of course he is. Nothing can quell the excitement Leo feels about the family trip to the Northern Fortress tomorrow. He's not able to visit his brother as much as he would like, so trips like these were a wonderful opportunity to catch up and spend some quality time with one another. They were some of his most treasured moments.

Though, Leo wasn't about to admit that out loud. His pride just wouldn't allow it.

Elise rests her arms on the back of Leo's chair, and peeks over his shoulder to look at the book he's reading. He isn't sure why she bothers. She'll furrow her brow, pout her lips and say, "What are you reading? It looks pretty boring." When she does, Leo rolls his eyes and tells her how predictable she is.

She argues that she isn't before Leo comments, "Isn't it past your bedtime or something?" She sticks out her tongue, reminds him of how much of a jerk he is and says that she won't let him ruin her good mood before leaving his quarters. The feelings are mutual. A mere two seconds pass before she peeks her head back in and wishes him a goodnight.

He's careful not to let her see the ghost of a smile on his lips as he wishes her a good night as well.

While in bed, Leo's eyes stare directly at the ceiling of his bedroom as thoughts of his family swirl around in his mind. The excitement makes it hard for him to keep his eyes closed, much less fall asleep. He tosses and turns, and the feeling of restlessness eats away at him. It's funny though, because he doesn't remember ever closing his eyes and falling asleep.

When he opens his eyes again, it is morning. The sun peeks through the blinds on his window and causes him to wince before he turns his back on it. Leo reaches for his phone on his nightstand, but the incessant banging on his bedroom door stops him. From the other side, Elise is yelling something about Camilla making breakfast and Father wanting to leave as soon as possible.

Slowly, Leo moves to sit up and rubs the sleep from his eye. His gaze focuses on the calendar just ways away from him. August 28th; move in day. Move in day during his freshman and sophomore year felt fresh and exciting. Doing this for the third time just felt tedious. He'd carefully plan out exactly what he'd need to bring, which items were packed in what box, and how they were packed, only to have his father take out a box or two because they wouldn't fit in the car, or have Camilla and Elise take it upon themselves to add and toss things out just because they can.

Xander was also present for Leo's first move in day as well. Now, he's a bit busy halfway across the country finishing up grad school and getting into serious relationships. Or so Leo was told. Xander hadn't said anything, but Camilla may have let something slip about their brother asking her about the cut and shape of a diamond during a family dinner. His father choked on the pork chops.

All that aside, even though move in day had grown lackluster over time, he did appreciate the change in pace. Instead of Elise being way too loud at two in the morning, Odin would gladly take over that role. And Niles would be the one prying into his business instead of Camilla. These were only minor changes, but changes he's learned to embrace.

After a light breakfast, heavy lifting, and triple checking that all of his boxes had the proper items inside, Leo and his family are able to pile in the car and drive off to the campus. Ten minutes into the drive, Camilla gently taps his shoulder. Leo removes his eyes from his phone and turns to face her as best as he can.

"You look like you haven't slept well. Are you alright?" She asks. Her voice is sprinkled lightly with concern.

Leo ignores Elise's comment about how he always looks like that. "I'm fine, Camilla. Thanks for asking. Though…" his voice trails off.

"Though?" Camilla questions.

"I did have that strange dream again," he says. "The one about living in a castle and whatnot." Those dreams made him feel like he hardly got any sleep at all, but they made him feel a variety of emotions. Last night's dream gave him feelings of elation, even if it did make him a little tired.

Elise's eyes dart between her two older siblings. "Wait, what dreams? Hang on, why am I out of the loop?"

Camilla assured her that there wasn't much to tell, but only because Leo purposely left some information out. He didn't need his gossip of a sister to tell everyone about his intricate dreams. Instead, he decided on just telling her about living in Castle Krakenburg and a few other princely duties.

The topic is soon dropped, and Elise launches into a conversation about how Father will be driving her around next year when she attends college. Garon lets out a groan as she says she'll need a moving van for all of her things. For most of the car ride, Leo silently wonders about those funny dreams, and his mysterious fourth sibling.

* * *

His new apartment is spacious and modern. There are four bedrooms, and Elise notes that they all have their own bathrooms as well. Leo has to scold her – some of the rooms already have people's belongings in there. It's rude to just barge in like that. In her defense, the doors were open and no one was inside.

Garon breaks up their sibling squabble by saying that those boxes aren't going to move themselves, and that he was getting too old for this. Though, it was phrased a bit more colorfully. As Leo and his father do the heavy lifting, Camilla looks around the common area, a bit impressed by it. Leo, who is a bit annoyed by so much movement during a hot summer's day asks her why she isn't moving anything.

She waves him off and tells him that she'll help him unpack in a bit, because they all knew that their father wasn't going to move a muscle after all that lifting. "You know, this place is much better than that ratty old dorm room they put you in last year. You even have a kitchen now," Camilla runs her finger along the table in the common room and inspects it closely. Her finger is caked with dust. "They could stand to do a little more cleaning in here though. This place is filthy."

"We're supposed to do our own cleaning, Sister," Leo says. He places a storage bin on the ground before wiping his brow, drenched in sweat. "The people who clean regularly do the dorm halls and outside the apartments." Leo picks up the storage bin as soon as he hears his father's grunting from the front door, and hustles to get the bin into his room.

"Couldn't they have cleaned over the summer though? You know, when no one was here?" When Leo explains that other students live on campus for summer school and the like, she rolls her eyes. "Of course they do. In any case, I think I'll do some tidying up around here. There's a box with cleaning supplies in your room. Be a dear and pass me some disinfectant wipes."

Leo's eyebrows knit together in confusion. He plans to buy some cleaning supplies at a nearby convenient store with his roommates a little later because there was no room to pack cleaning supplies. Camilla knows, and that's why she took the liberty of unpacking some things he didn't need.

Like those books that he's had since high school.

"You unpacked my _books!?_ " Leo cries.

"Honey, you've already read them a million times over," she looks away for a moment to thank Elise who hands her the disinfectant wipes. "Besides, who knows how long you would have put off purchasing them? And I don't need my baby brother getting sick because of such a terrible environment, now do I?" she coos.

He decides he needs a small break from his family. This is the perfect opportunity now that all the boxes are out of the car, and his father can sprawl out on one of the couches for a nap until it's time to drive back home. He exits the apartment, but is only able to give one sigh of relief before he hears his name being called from a distance.

To his left, Odin frantically waves him down, and Leo returns the exuberant greeting with a small wave of his own. When Odin reaches him, he admits that jogging all the way to the apartment in this weather wasn't such a brilliant idea, but he was too excited to see Leo again, even though they hung out a few weeks before today.

As Odin rambles on about the new semester and a few other things Leo doesn't quite understand, he catches sight of Odin's mother, who waves at him. Leo does the same, and Odin stops talking to turn and see what's going on. Oh yeah, his mom. She wasn't able to keep up with him, so he left her in the dust.

Leo's eyes narrow. "What a wonderful son," he says with a hint of snide. Odin's rebuttal goes generally ignored as Leo watches the man walking next to her. "Who is that?"

Odin smiles. "Oh, that's my uncle. Dad couldn't get out of work today, so he's stuck helping me move in. We're finished anyway. All that's left is to unpack!" When Odin opens the door to the apartment, he asks why Leo's father is draped haphazardly on their couch, snoring lightly.

He cringes, and has half a mind to ask his father to wait in the car. Or at the very least to sleep in his room. Camilla had already put the fitted sheets on after disinfecting the mattress seven times over. "Don't ask," Leo says through gritted teeth.

After a long day of unpacking and cleaning, Garon is ready to go home. Camilla asks him to wait a moment, as they are still fixing up a few things, but Leo says he can manage. Elise and Camilla practically smother him as they tell him goodbye. They lecture him on eating properly (more than just tomatoes, for goodness sake!) and not to give into peer pressure. How old was he, 15?

Niles and Laslow, who came in a little later, could be heard snickering from their respective rooms. Leo makes an unpleasant face. Garon gives his son a firm pat on the back, and tells him to be good. When he thinks about his first year away at school, his father had embraced him before his departure, and that was what Leo needed. Now, a simple pat on the back is more than enough for the both of them. That, and there are too many people watching.

When they leave, Leo wants to take a moment to be alone and enters his bedroom. His eyes roam the entire room as he takes in how different it looks now. Did Camilla happen to repaint the walls while she was in here cleaning?

* * *

Lalsow, who sips freshly brewed tea, asks Niles who that pretty woman with his father was. He answers that it was his father's newest girlfriend. Last year, his mother and step-father helped him move in, as they did the day before. However, his father wouldn't stop asking to help this year, so Niles' mother let him decide what he wants to do. Niles doesn't see the problem with it.

"Honestly, I think he was so incessant because he wanted to show off his new girlfriend," says Niles. "It's like he's trying to tell us that he's over my mom now. It's pretty funny, actually."

"Niles, that's pretty mean!" Odin scolds. "Besides, why are you airing out your family's dirty laundry anyway?"

He shrugs. "Laslow asked."

Laslow reminds him that he only asked about who the woman was and not about private matters. Leo only catches a few key words of their conversation as the book he's reading holds most of his attention. It isn't one of the classics that his older sister so graciously unpacked (yes, he was still annoyed by that), but it would have to do.

Speaking of his sister, she'd just sent him a text message. A response to his question from earlier. Yes, they were home safe and sound. No, she didn't repaint the walls in his room. She did, however, fill in some of those nasty cracks in the walls with some handy, travel sized patch stick she picked up from the store.

Leo isn't quite sure how to respond to her text message. He settles on, "Okay… thanks Sis. Glad you're home safe."

"What's this? Leo's pulled his nose out of a book long enough to read and send a text message?" Niles teases. "Who's the lucky girl?"

"My sister," he answers, deadpanned.

Niles makes a face. "Oh… I mean, to each his own, I guess–"

" _Niles!_ " The rest cry out, and Niles swears it was only a joke.

The rest of his school days are filled with moments like this one. Of course, the frequency of them dwindle when the courses are actually beginning to pile on more work. Still, the boys make time for each other. While doing homework in the common area, Laslow ticks off all the names of the cute transfer students he's had the pleasure of being acquainted with.

While this doesn't interest Leo or Odin in the slightest, Niles doesn't hesitate to ask a few lewd questions about them. Ones that Laslow is much too embarrassed to answer. Niles doesn't even care to know the answers to those questions, and takes pleasure in watching Laslow's flustered face.

They are only two weeks into September when Leo has lost count of how many girls Laslow has brought back to their apartment. It's especially awkward on weekends when Leo decides to sleep in, and wakes up to some woman he's seen a couple times before in a few of his classes lounging on the sofa while he's in his boxers.

Because Odin set up his schedule for classes that begin at 2:30 in the afternoon, he'd stay awake until some ungodly hour of the morning. Leo isn't sure if he's watching a show or reading one of his comics, but whatever he's doing, he's doing it way too loud. One night, he recalls Niles banging on the wall from his own room, yelling for Odin to shut up while half asleep.

Instead, Niles kept hitting the wall adjacent to Leo's room.

Despite the mild inconveniences and annoyances, Leo is pretty content with his roommates. Things would be pretty boring without them around, but he'd hate to admit it out loud. He rather not be subjected to their teasing of how much of a softie he is, or some mushy nonsense about how much they love him.

Speaking of mushy nonsense, Camilla has been sending her "I love you so much, don't forget to do your best" text messages since the day after they dropped him off at school, and Leo has had enough of it. She isn't usually this affectionate towards him, and gives him his space (which he is ever so grateful for).

She's been keeping it up for a while now, and after days of "I love you so much, don't forget to do your best," and "Thanks," Leo breaks the pattern by asking why she feels the need to send those texts each and every morning. Her response is to call him. Apparently, she had been looking through the books she'd unpacked, and found one that she'd given him for his birthday years ago, the birthday card still intact. He seemed to be using it as some sort of bookmark.

"Oh, when I saw it, I couldn't believe you kept the card for so long. It must have meant so much to you, a present from your dear big sister, and I took it from you!" There she goes with the theatrics again. "I felt like such an awful big sister! I had to show you how much I loved you to make up for it."

Leo refrains from asking, "Couldn't you have just apologized for tossing out my books in the first place?" and forgives her. It has been two weeks now. He's over it. To make it up to him, Camilla offers to ship the books to his school address. Leo tells her that she doesn't have to do it, and neglects to tell her that it would be greatly appreciated.

Camilla insists, and tells him that he'll have the classics to look forward to in about four to seven business days. He laughs, thanks her, and tells her that he's going to get ready for bed. All of a sudden, he's feeling very tired, even though he took a nap earlier today. He dozes off not long after his head hits the pillow.

The sleep is so deep that he doesn't hear Laslow knock on his bedroom door at nine at night, and he certainly doesn't hear Odin's obnoxious laughter at two in the morning.

He sleeps soundly.

* * *

In his entire life, Leo has never known a feeling of apprehension and fear quite like this. On the plains of Hoshido is where he stands with an excessive heart beat and a mind muddled with all sorts of self-doubt, with the occasional small prayer – something he hasn't done in ages.

His eyes follow his brother's slightest movements, from the slow, ragged breaths he takes to the way his head turns from one family to another. Leo chews his bottom lip. There should be no debate about this, should there? The brother who would shower him in praise and attention, the one who was a source of great elation – surely he'll pick his family in Nohr.

_Surely, he'll pick me._

_Right?_

The silence on the battlefield practically gnaws at his ankles. Say something, Corrin. Say anything. Anything but goodbye.

And Corrin opens his mouth to speak. Nothing comes out at first, and Elise grips her staff tighter. Camilla's fingers tremble. Xander's brow creases in worry. Corrin knows what he must do. He looks towards the first Hoshidan prince.

When the command to withdraw the Hoshidan troops leaves his lips, Leo breathes a small sigh of relief. It was obvious. Of course Corrin would pick those who raised and cared for him all these years. It was only right.

But no matter how much Leo tries to convince himself, there is that little inkling of self-doubt in the back of his mind. His fears were very real. There was a chance that his brother could very well have forsaken him. However, Leo counts his blessing because this isn't the case.

Still, his celebration must be cut short. The enemy is upon them, and he refuses to let them place a finger on the brother who, despite their lack of blood relation, loves him dearly. The first prince of Hoshido rallies his siblings to fight with him, and briefly, the youngest's meek, stuttering voice catches his attention.

The wind tousles her pink hair, and her bottom lip quivers slightly. She clings tightly to her healing rod as tears steadily well in her eyes. He doesn't envy her at all, but he knows that tears have no place on the battlefield, no matter how badly you hurt.

Maybe she'd learn that one day.

Thoughts of her aside, Leo readies his tome. If the Hoshidans think that they can take Corrin back so easily, they're in for a rude awakening.

* * *

Leo's eyes shoot open at the sound of the sound of the fire alarm. It felt as if the damn thing pierced his eardrums. He hastily dresses himself, throwing on a freshly washed, but wrinkled t-shirt and some shorts before he heads out of the apartment.

The smell of overcooked meat fills his nostrils, and the scent is coming from _his_ kitchen. Of course it is. _I bet it was Odin,_ he thinks as he stands in a crowd of students outside of their apartment complex. When Odin jogs up to him, he has half a mind to scold him right then and there.

Odin speaks first. "What's going on in there? The university police are in there, and it smells like someone charred an entire pig pen in there!"

Okay, maybe comparing the scent to the charring of an entire pig pen seems a bit much, but Leo lets it slide. "You mean, this isn't your doing?"

" _Ohhh sure!_ Let's blame ol' Odin, yeah?" He cries, dramatically throwing his arms in the air. "Because after going to bed at five this morning, I thought it be a good idea to wake up at 7:30 and sacrifice a pig to the glutton king!"

"A simple 'no' would have sufficed, thank you," says Leo.

After 30 minutes of standing and waiting, everyone is allowed to enter their apartments again, and university police have a few choice words for the boys, and that one girl that Leo doesn't remember meeting at all last night.

When the police leave, she apologizes profusely. "I'm so sorry! I wanted to make you all a nice breakfast for letting me stay here for the night, but as I was working on the pancake mix, I forgot about the bacon and I –"

Lalsow places a comforting hand on her back. "It's okay darling, we know you didn't mean to cause any trouble." As he escorts her out the apartment to chat, Leo says that he doesn't even remember her coming in.

Apparently, Laslow wanted him to come meet her, but Leo had already been asleep by then.

Odin scratches the back of his head. "I thought she left at 11. I heard her and Laslow say goodbye."

"So did I," Niles says.

"I did say goodbye to her," Laslow says, now without his guest. "I don't ever remember telling her she could stay the night, so how did she get back inside? I locked the door."

The room is silent for a moment. " _Don't_ invite her back here," Leo warns. "For our sakes." Odin is far too tired to deal with this any longer, as he is only running on two and a half hours of sleep. He slinks back into his bedroom and Laslow cleans up the mess his guest left in the kitchen. Leo says that he needs to start getting ready for class.

"Is _that_ what you're wearing?" Niles asks. Leo narrows his eyes asks why. A smirk graces Niles' lips. "Your shirt's inside out."

Leo rockets back into his bedroom and finds another suitable outfit to wear and Niles muffled laughter can be heard from outside his bedroom door. Just his luck, to be woken up so abruptly, have his peers see him dressed improperly, and have some woman who he's not sure got inside his apartment nearly burn down his kitchen.

To top it off, Leo never got the chance to think about that bizarre dream. He's unable to pin down the word for how it made him feel, and it starts to bother him to the point where he thinks about it during the lecture.

* * *

The dream from this morning still swirls around in his mind. In his dreams, he feels like a completely different person, yet at the same time, he also feels like himself. It is hard to describe, as if there is a word for this that he just isn't able to think of right now. He is well aware of his speech, his movements; his emotions.

This is called lucid dreaming, isn't it?

But it's not. He never says to himself that this is a dream, nor can he stop it at any time. He can only do his part and watch as the rest of the events unfold before him. Leo thinks back to the fight between his family and the other one. It felt so real. All of it. The speed of that impressive bow and arrow whizzing right past his face, leaving the smallest cut on his cheek, the magic in him tingling the tips of his fingers – it all felt like his reality at some point.

Leo looks at his open palm for a moment and wiggles his fingers. He remembers the feeling so perfectly, but is unable to recreate it. He moves his hand to touch his left cheek, the exact spot where the arrow grazed him. Not a blemish in sight. _Maybe,_ he thinks, _I should talk to someone about this._

But who?

The last thing he wants is for people to think he's some kind of weirdo. Odin wouldn't judge him much, but he wouldn't take him seriously either. He can see Niles getting a kick out of how weird his dreams are, that's for sure. As for Laslow, well, Leo isn't sure how he'd take it, but he's not sure he wants to find out.

Leo shoves his hands into his pockets, and tries to remove the thought from his mind. He's tired of thinking about it, and wants to start his shift at the library, which starts in 15 minutes. There's a shortcut from the Natural Sciences building to the library, and it's over the cobblestone bridge over the river that cuts through campus.

The view is such a beauty to behold. All the art students hang around and sketch the scene in their sketchpads, and all the hopeless romantics dream of kissing their person of choice on the bridge while the light of the moon shines upon them. Or so Laslow said anyway. It seems far too cheesy to be romantic, but to each their own.

He is halfway across the bridge when she stops him dead in his tracks. The resemblance is uncanny. Sure, her hair reaches just past her shoulders, and her frame is a bit taller, but nothing confirms Leo's suspicions as much as the moment she turns to face him. A gentle face, soft brown eyes that become slightly wider when they lock with his, and a pair of lightly glossed lips that part to let out a small exhale.

This is the same girl in his dreams who, with watering eyes, begged her brother to come back to her. _His_ brother. A man he isn't even sure exists in real life. Hell, he isn't even sure if the woman in front of him exists. Slowly, he reaches his arm out towards her and a low, breathy, "Hey," leaves his lips.

But she couldn't possibly hear that, considering the distance between them. She doesn't, he concludes, as he watches her back. She moves farther away from him, never looking back. And just like that, he's lost sight of her.

Still, he has to ask… is she even real? Or maybe, this is another dream? But it feels so real… just like the ones about his time in Nohr. It's beginning to get difficult for him to differentiate between reality and the fantasy world that his dreams bring him to. As cliché as it is, Leo pinches himself. He doesn't end up in his bedroom, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He still stands on the cobblestone bridge over the river that cuts through his campus. Other students pass by him, hustling to get to and from class, and the autumn air feels as crisp as ever.

This is real. _She_ is real. And Leo wants so badly to figure out what this all truly means for him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks guys for such kind words! I really appreciate all of them! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

Just the thought of her leaves him in a daze.

Leo hardly focuses during his lectures, and sits in his chair even after the professor dismisses class, and the rest of the students pile out. He’s underneath his showerhead for over an hour – mind clouded with thoughts of _her_. Both the girl in his dreams and the girl who locked eyes with him on the cobblestone bridge.

Since that fateful day, Leo has reevaluated his thoughts about her. He admits it, it was silly of him to conclude that she’s the same girl in his dreams. People don’t dream of others they’ve never met before, so the only other logical explanation is that he’s seen her in passing before.

However, that feels wrong. Leo is sure he’d remembered her face if he saw her in passing. She’s pleasing to look at, and a face like that is unforgettable. He sighs. Even if her face is unforgettable, logic overrules instinct. He must have forgotten it somehow and his subconscious placed her in his dreams.

This is the answer he decides to stick with so that he can finally give his mind a break. At least, this is the answer he tries to stick with. His resolve wavers when she enters his sight, and he’s back to square one yet again.

He has no classes with her, nor does he see her hanging around the bridge again. She does show up in the library from time to time, and it is sheer torture for him. He often sneaks quick glances at her while she’s doing school work. On occasion, he’s caught her with her eyes fixated on him as he’s working. He doesn’t let her know that he knows.

Once in a while, their eyes meet. The first time, he is the one to awkwardly break eye contact. The second time, her cheeks turn a vibrant shade of red before she clumsily covers her face with a rather hefty book she’s been reading. With the way she acts, Leo thinks that maybe he has met her once, and he’s done something to slight her.

Maybe he’s bumped into her accidentally, and didn’t apologize for it. Or maybe he’s cut her off in line for something without realizing. Either way, he’s sure that she doesn’t like him, because when she has to return a book, she dumps it in the return bin, and walks right past him.

It annoys him, but he does his best to shrug it off and continues to work diligently.

When his shift is over, he heads back to his apartment to finish up some homework. Maybe afterwards, he’ll give that video game that Odin’s been raving about a try. It has something to do with defeating a dragon, if he remembers correctly, and Odin said he’d like it because it was a strategy game. Leo didn’t think Odin was one for strategy, but he appreciates the recommendation either way.

Before that, he runs into _her_ again. This time, it’s in front of the student services building, just before the path leading to the apartments. She just happens to be reading a flyer on the bulletin board, and he just happens to be passing by. They lock eyes again, but before she can scurry away, Leo’s lips move to greet her. It’s one of the rare moments where he’s done something without thinking it through.

She stutters a small hello of her own, and Leo briefly thinks that she sounds exactly like the girl in his dream. But now, Leo hasn’t got a clue of what to say next, and they stand in front of each other awkwardly. She’s looking at the ground while he eyes the bulletin board she’d been looking at, trying to come up with a decent conversation topic.

Nothing good comes to him, so he settles on something generic. “I’m Leo, and you are?” He asks, with and outstretched arm.

For a second, he swears he saw her eyes widen with surprise before reluctantly shaking his hand. “I… m-my name’s Sakura,” she mumbles.

 _Sakura,_ Leo thinks. _It’s one of the same names the first prince called when he rallied his siblings to fight against us_. This is too strange not to ignore. Not only did the share the same face, but the same name as well. This is no coincidence, and his resolve is broken beyond repair.

Leo is now certain he’s never met this woman before, even though she exists inside and of his dreams. Do the rest of her siblings exist too? But what does it all mean? Leo bites down on his bottom lip as he tries to suppress the state of confusion his mind is currently in. “Sakura,” he says aloud. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

She nods. “L-likewise… Um, I should… uh… I should g-get going now… s-so…”

“Yes, me too,” Leo says, a little taken aback by her stammering and obvious discomfort. “See you around.” Even when they part ways, Leo’s thoughts still revolve around Sakura. She is different. In his dreams, Nohr is somewhat made up of the people in his normal life. His family is there, his friends are there – there’s nothing strange about it other than how intricate it all is.

He never had to question it before. But Sakura’s mere existence forces him to do so, and he isn’t quite comfortable with the thought of analyzing his dreams. Not by himself at least. When Leo gets back to his apartment, he doesn’t feel very hungry, and skips the dinner Laslow has prepared.

He does his homework, washes up, and prepares for bed. Odin asks if he still wants to play, but Leo tells him that he’ll do so another time, and that he’s feeling tired. Despite this, he isn’t able to fall asleep right away, and stares up at his ceiling. How can one girl cause such an imbalance in his life when all she’s done is stumble over her words and shy away from him?

* * *

 

The only thing that takes his mind off her is cleansing day. Ever since freshman year, Leo organized a day during the weekend where he and his roommates would randomly draw chores from a hat and complete them before noon. Because how else is he going to get Niles and Odin to do any work around here?

Luckily, they each have their own bathroom this year, and are responsible for that and the messes in their individual rooms. Odin draws first, and shuffles his hand around in the baseball cap. He begs not to be on dish duty, and Niles asks him how long will it take for him to pick one of four strips of paper.

When Odin draws mopping, Leo watches him deflate. “Ugh, I hate mopping! I always miss a bunch of spots and then Leo makes me do it all over again!”

In Leo’s defense, Odin will miss huge sections and say, “What? I was supposed to mop there?” Of course he’s supposed to mop there! It doesn’t make sense to not mop there. Leo decides to bite his tongue and draws from the hat. He’s in charge of tidying up the common area. He shudders, and eyes the cups without coasters on the table, as well as Odin’s pizza box from the night before.

There were still leftovers in it too.

Laslow draws sweeping and vacuuming, and that leaves Niles to straighten up their kitchen. From 10 a.m., the boys set out to do their own chores, and it seems that Laslow is having the most fun out of all of them. He dances while he sweeps, and Niles thinks it’s a good idea to pull out his phone and record him instead of focusing on his own duties.

Leo wastes no time scolding him for it, and Laslow, upon hearing of Niles’ deeds, quickly becomes embarrassed.

When the common area looks decent, and the garbage bin is filled up to the brim, Leo takes it out. It smells utterly disgusting since Odin ordered anchovies on the pizza he left to collect flies last night, and after he dumps it, Leo feels like he needs to take at least three showers to feel somewhat clean again.

Something in his peripheral vision catches his eye. He turns to get a full view, not disappointed by who he sees in the least. His mouth says her name, but his body takes a step back. He’s feeling a bit self-conscious about the garbage smell. She’s a bit confused by his actions, but gives a shy hello anyway.

“What are you doing around here anyway?” Leo asks. He’s sure that she doesn’t live in the apartments in this area, or he would have seen her a long time ago.

“Oh, I um, I’m v-visiting a friend b-but… all these apartments look the same so…” Sakura’s voice trails off.

 _Is that all?_ Leo thinks. “What’s the apartment number?” When she tells him, he smiles. “Ah, you’re on the right track then. If you keep going along this path, it should be straight ahead.” She nods, and quickly thanks him before making her move to leave. Why is she so hasty to get away from him all the time?

Leo calls out to her once more, and she stops. He takes a slow breath. “Sakura,” he starts, “have I _done_ something to offe–”

“Hey, Leo!” A voice calls out to him. He inwardly groans. “Maybe you shouldn’t have taken out that garbage. Odin’s decided to clean his room for once, and – why _hello there._ ” There goes Laslows notorious smooth talker voice. If Sakura can’t handle their generic conversations for two seconds, there’s no way she could put up with Laslow’s constant flirtations.

The hello she gives him is barely audible. Laslow smiles. “Now, now. No need to be shy. Leo, why didn’t you tell us you were bringing company?”

“Laslow, _please_. I’m trying to have a conversation,” Leo says through gritted teeth.

“Ah, and we can all have one together over tea,” he smiles. His eyes are directly on Sakura. “I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch your name, darling.”

Sakura, clearly flustered by the encounter, shakes her head. “I-I’m sorry, I really have to go!” With that, she heads off in the direction of her friend’s apartment.

Laslow tilts his head in confusion. “Boy, she’s a shy one, isn’t she? Kind of reminds me of my mother…” He says. “Where did you find her anyway?”

The pure look of annoyance on Leo’s face is enough to make Laslow apologize, though he stops halfway into it. “Wait a moment, were you trying to smooth talk her? And I got in the way of that? …I honestly didn’t know you had it in you.”

“What? That’s not what was going on, honestly!” Leo argues. “She just happened to be asking for directions and I–!” Before he can finish, Laslow is already racing into the apartment, and tells Niles and Odin all about his weird assumptions of what went on between Leo and Sakura. “Laslow! Don’t walk away when I’m talking to you! **_Laslow!_** ”

When he’s inside his apartment, his roommates all sit in the newly cleaned common area, chatting about his encounter with Sakura. Leo temporarily forgets his desire to take a shower, but he does go into the bathroom to wash his hands.

From there, he can hear Niles let out a wolf-whistle. “Damn Leo, I didn’t think you were capable chatting up girls.”

That’s not even what happened, but there’s no use in denying it at this point. His friends are already coming up with their silly ideas as to what happened earlier. Niles thinks that Sakura was “checking Leo out” and stopped to talk to him. According to him, it’s always the shy ones you need to look out for. Laslow disagrees, and thinks Sakura passed by, and Leo made the first move. Then, Laslow refers to him as a “sly dog.”

While he isn’t wrong about Leo saying something to Sakura first, he’d hardly call it making a move on her.

Odin likes to think that the two of them clumsily ran into each other and were awkwardly apologizing before Laslow cut in. That’s how all the romances on television happens anyway, right? All it takes for Laslow to ask what happened is for Leo to rejoin them and sit quietly with a book in his hand.

As soon as Laslow asks, he swiftly closes it. Oh, so _now_ they were interested? “For your information, I’ve met her before today. We greeted each other, I helped her out with directions, and then Laslow butt in and scared her away.”

Niles gives one of his usual wicked smirks. “I have a new name for you buddy. It starts with ‘c’ and ends in ‘ock blocker.’”

“If nothing was going on, then what was I really blocking?” Laslow counters. “And if nothing was going on, why were you so annoyed earlier, Leo?”

“Because you can’t just cut into people’s conversations like that. It’s rude,” Leo scolds. Well, that and the fact that he was so close to figuring out why she acts so aloof with him. They didn’t need to know that, though. “But it’s over with now. No more talking about it.”

The room is silent for a moment before Odin asks what she looks like. Leo frowns. Didn’t he just say to drop the subject? Laslow entertains him, and accurately describes Sakura’s every detail. Leave it to Laslow to never forget a pretty face.

Odin points to the window. “Isn’t that her walking past right now?”

The rest of the boys all scramble towards the window. Laslow and Niles are only there to be nosy while Leo is there to make sure that his friends don’t embarrass him further. His only warning is, “Don’t you dare do anything stupid.” As he watches her from the window, he notes that she isn’t alone. A couple of her friends, he presumes, walk with her, and they look to be chatting normally.

He’s thankful that she’s not alone so he doesn’t have to worry about one of his friends doing something they’ll regret. Still, he’s grateful that Odin points her out.

This is the first time he’s seen such a bright smile on her face. He has to admit, it suits her far more than the looks of apprehension she often casts his way.

* * *

 

Apologizing to Sakura about Laslow’s behavior last weekend is harder than Leo thinks. Of course he manages to say it, but there’s a slight hesitation before and after he calls her name. This is always the hardest part because there is a chance that she’ll freeze up and run away. That is the last thing he wants.

Sakura forgives him, and says that it’s nothing he should worry himself over at all. After a moment of silence, Sakura surprises Leo by briefly looking him in the eye. “Um, what… what were you going to ask me the other day?” She asks as she plays with the hem of her jacket.

He’s surprised that she’s curious enough to ask. Leo clears his throat, and looks directly at her, even though she isn’t looking at him. “Right. I wanted to know if I’ve done anything to offend you,” he says. She finally looks at him, and she is stunned by his question. The look on her face says it all. “If I have, I do apologize for it, but I only ask because you seem… put off by me.”

She shakes her head no. “N-no, it’s not you. I just… um…” She stumbles over her words, but Leo patiently listens to what she has to say. “Y-you haven’t done anything w-wrong… I didn’t really know what to make of you…”

Leo’s brow furrows in confusion. She doesn’t know what to make of him? If anything, _he’s_ not sure what to make of _her._ It’s as if she’s a walking enigma. “What do you mean by that?” He asks.

“I… Y-you just kept staring… a-and I got really nervous s-so…” She says. “I didn’t know wh-what else to do.”

He winces. He hadn’t realize how often he was looking at her. “So, you’re saying that I actually _did_ offend you.”

This sends her into a slight panic. “No! I w-wasn’t upset by it o-or anything! I only–”

“It’s okay, really,” Leo says. He gives her a reassuring smile. “It bothered you, and that’s what matters. I’m sorry. It wasn’t my intention to make you feel that way. And I hope that we can move past this.”

She nods. “Um, i-it’s okay. I forgive you. But… I should go now. I r-really need to study…”

Leo understands, and the two of them part ways. From what he can tell, she looks like she’s going in the direction of the library. And Leo has just come from there, as his shift ended not too long ago. Briefly, he wonders if she’s learned his schedule to try and avoid him.

He shrugs it off, and heads back to his apartment. He has much more pressing matters to tend to than to stand here and think about Sakura’s actions. Midterms week is upon them, and like Sakura, he has a lot of studying to do himself. Now that he thinks about it, Leo does consider it a good thing that the two of them happened to run into each other just now.

The original plan was to grab his notes and head back to the library. From the way that Sakura seems to frequent his thoughts these days, attempting to study in the library with the knowledge that she’s there will undoubtedly distract him. With the constant noise his roommates produce, however, Leo wonders if he should have taken his chance at the library.

She’s a much more tolerable distraction.

* * *

 

After lots of begging and promises to clean the common area for an entire month, Leo decides to help Odin and Niles by holding an emergency cram session. Odin questions why the word emergency is there, since cramming is already a terrible thing to do. Leo tells him that they haven’t even started this session, and it’s already midnight. The exam will begin at 2:30. So yes, this _is_ an emergency.

Details aside, the three of them dive right into it. They go through dates and key events, decipher Odin’s messy notes (which irritates Leo to no end), and write up flashcards to quiz each other on. Now, Leo is no history buff like his brother Xander, but he believes that it is important to learn about it, or else one is doomed to repeat it.

If he’s being honest with himself, he knows that Niles and Odin aren’t going to learn from this mistake, and they’ll be back to bother him during finals week. Leo doesn’t mind too much. It’s a great way for him to get them to do work around the apartment. He’s honestly impressed with their focus.

Well, until the clock strikes four anyway. From there, they steadily lose it. Niles begins to make innuendos out of anything he can. Some of them are way too complex, and after a while, he’d just utter lewd words at random. Odin cuts into Leo’s lecture and asks questions that don’t pertain to what they are talking about.

At six o’clock, Leo says that the emergency cram session is over, because it’s way too late and he needs to go to bed. They’ve probably retained enough information to earn a somewhat satisfactory grade. As he walks away, Odin says that it isn’t too late, but rather too early, since it’s six in the morning.

Leo doesn’t care. He leaves the two of them slumped over the table.

From behind his bedroom door, Leo can hear Niles say, “Good night sweet prince.” About four hours later is when someone’s phone alarm goes off, and Leo groans. It’s turned off relatively quickly. 10 minutes later, he can hear Niles and Odin going over everything he taught them several hours ago. Leo can safely say that this is the most intense study session he’s ever seen.

“Alright Niles! We can do this! We’ve just got a few more terms to memorize and we’ll be good to go!” Odin cries.

“So… what are we gonna do for those essay questions?” He asks. “The professor said we can pick one of three but I don’t even understand the first two.”

The room goes quiet. “What the heck does _that_ mean!? Why doesn’t he just tell us what he wants? Ugh, forget it! We’ll go with the last one. I sorta understand it.”

As the two of them go over their plans, Leo’s face turns sour. _Maybe,_ he thinks bitterly, _if you two didn’t wait until the last minute to study, you could have asked the professor about it._

Leo really just wants to go to sleep already.

* * *

 

This is what Leo gets for being too nice. Odin and Niles may have gotten satisfactory marks on their midterm exams, but that emergency cram session really messed up his sleeping schedule. Now he’s the one paying the price, re-shelving books in the library on just a few hours of sleep.

The coffee from Stahlbucks doesn’t help in the slightest, and Leo can’t even tell if he’s placing the books in the correct place. There is a faint tap on his shoulder, and for a moment, he wonders if he’s just imagining it. He isn’t, because a familiar voice calls his name a few seconds later.

“Sakura?” He says, a little surprised to see her today. They hadn’t seen each other since they ran into each other right before midterms week. Leo does his best to look friendly, but he ends up giving her a tired smile. “How’ve you been?”

She frowns. “Never mind how _I’ve_ been. A-are you… okay? You look like you haven’t been s-sleeping…”

“I’m fine, honestly,” He tells her. She’s not buying, and he decides to retract his statement. “Well yes, I’ve been a little tired lately, but it’s nothing I can’t handle. So please, don’t worry about it.”

“D-did you stay up late studying?” She asks.

“…You could say that.” He mutters. Leo starts to wonder if the exchange between he, Niles, and Odin is worth it.

Sakura’s eyes are practically shining with sympathy. “Um… it’s good that you’re serious about your work, b-but you shouldn’t push yourself too hard.” She looks past him, eyes focused on the bookshelf behind him. “Oh… l-let me help you with that.” Leo is more alert when she starts to take some of the books of the shelf.

He stops her by placing his hand on a book she is just about to remove. “I appreciate the help, but I should do it. It is my job, after all.”

Leo watches her flinch, and he’s soon filled regret. “I-I’m sorry. I just… uh… the books are…”

_The books are what…?_

Leo looks back at the shelf, only to find that everything is a jumbled mess. Actually, it looks worse than it did when he first started. It isn’t alphabetized correctly at all. He starts to feel a warmth rush to his cheeks. “I think… I’d like your assistance. Thank you.”

The two of them spend some time re-shelving together. The silence between them is rather comfortable, and with his sleepiness temporarily gone, it finally registers that for once, Sakura finally came to talk to him and not the other way around. Their… “relationship” (if he could even call it that) feels a lot better than what it once was.

Sakura looks a little more relaxed around him now. He wonders what changed, but decides against asking. Leo doesn’t want to make things weird for her again after they’ve just gotten to a stable point. “So, I’ve never seen you around here before,” Leo begins. “Are you a transfer student?”

She shakes he head. “No, t-this is my first year. It’s… so e-easy to lose yourself here, I’ve realized.”

What she says is true. During his first year, Leo also had been feeling out of place. With all the different personalities swimming around, rules to abide by, and general atmosphere of this place, college really is such a culture shock. “It is, but finding yourself can be just as easy too. With the help of the right people of course.”

Sakura takes a moment to think about his words for a moment before smiling. The corners of Leo’s lips twitch upwards as well. He gets to be the reason that she’s smiling instead of being a source of anxiety for once. It’s a very good feeling, Leo has to admit. Sakura thanks him for the lovely piece of advice, and he tells her that it is no problem at all.

While they continue to work on reorganizing the bookshelf, Leo happens upon a book he hasn’t seen read in years. A wave of nostalgia washes over him, and he opens the book to flips through its contents. Sakura looks over to him and smiles when she sees the book in his hands. “Oh, it’s _The Do-gooders_.”

Leo looks up from the book. “You know it?”

She nods. “Yes, I remember I when I started reading it. The first book came out when I was in elementary school. The s-story was so well done.” The story focuses on two main characters who are transported to another world for a reason unknown to them. It is through their good deeds and immaculate problem solving that they get to leave that world, only to be transported to another.

There are eight books in the series, and both Leo and Sakura talk about reading them all. Her favorite is the third book in the series, when the two main characters are teleported to the world of Ebira, and help a little girl find the confidence and motivation to build robots that help advance society.

A good choice, but Leo says it hardly compares to book six. That’s where they teleport into the kingdom of Venan, right into the prince’s castle. From there, the young prince spare their lives, and the main characters help him mature into a fine ruler who knows the joys of true friendship.

She admits that book six is a wonderful one. It just isn’t _as_ wonderful as book three. Leo lets out a low laugh. “Actually, I’d like to share one of my favorite books with you, if you don’t mind, that is.”

“For m-me?” She’s a bit surprised, but the smile on her face still lingers. “W-wow, I’d love to read it sometime. Um, what is it about?”

As Leo gives her a general synopsis, Sakura feels just a little more excited to read this story. Life really does work in mysterious ways, doesn’t it? Over 20 minutes ago, Leo had been ready to pass out. Now that Sakura is here to keep him company, he’s forgotten all about his sleepiness.

* * *

 

They decide to meet over coffee (or hot chocolate, in Sakura’s case) for Leo to hand over his book. She accepts it graciously, but pauses for a moment after opening it. Leo’s eyes narrow as she flips through the pages of his book; the corners of her mouth twitch upwards.

“Uh, is there something wrong?” He asks. Leo is curious as to why she is giggling.

“B-because,” she laughs, “you left some sticky-notes in here.”

Leo can feel the heat rise to his cheeks as he demands his book back from her. He just needs to take out the sticky-notes and she’ll be able to read the book properly. Sakura holds the book away from him and says that she wants the notes to stay in there. She wants to know what they say.

They don’t say much. If anything, they are markers of his favorite parts of the book. That and his predictions as to what will happen in the next chapter. Still, Leo feels humiliated. He should have checked that book first before handing it over to Sakura. _It could be worse,_ Leo thinks. _I could have forgotten to take out the overly-doting birthday card from Camilla_.

“Y-you don’t have to be embarrassed about it,” Sakura smiles. “It shows that you’re an active reader. A-and, the notes will probably make me read more actively too.”

She’s just trying to make him feel better because she’s too kind, but Leo appreciates the thought anyway. He bitterly sips on his cup of coffee. “Thanks,” he mumbles into the lidded cup.

Sakura eyes the book in her hands once more. “I think I’ll start reading t-tonight. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow or something.”

“Hey, don’t just speed read through most of it in one night,” Leo lightly scolds. “You need to take your time and enjoy it, alright?”

She beams. “Oh, I will! Definitely.”

Sakura is so lively. He would have never guessed she was in their earlier encounters. His curiosity takes over, and he asks the question he’s been avoiding for a few weeks now. “You’ve been a little more open with me lately. If you don’t mind my asking, why is that?”

The smile on her face falters, and she is beginning to nervously fidget. “Um… I-if anything… I felt really bad about everything…” When his eyebrows knit together in confusion, she continues on. “You were trying t-to be friendly with me from the beginning, a-and I wasn’t doing the same for you. S-so, I thought I should try and talk to you…”

Leo smiles. “Well, I’m glad you did. I enjoy talking to you, and I’d hope the same goes for you as well.” Sakura nods, and gives him a coy smile. The feelings are mutual. After their meeting over coffee is over, a feeling of content washes over Leo. Things with Sakura are really beginning to look up.

It _almost_ makes him forget about the bizarre dream he had about her two months ago.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before we start, there is a reason why I used some of the Japanese names for Leo's dreams. I feel like names would definitely change in different lifetimes, but who you are doesn't, if that makes any sense.
> 
> But anyway, enjoy.

The feeling of exhilaration while on the battlefield is quite familiar to Leo. To best his enemies with tactics and magic rather than sheer brute force is a feat most gratifying – something he takes pride in. The power in Brynhildr flows through him like a river, and the strong tingling sensation in his fingertips reminds him that this power must be used for the good of Nohr.

He isn’t as ruthless as his sister in battle, or so he likes to think, but since he was finishing up _her_ mission, being merciless is a safe way to ensure that the job is done right. Besides, he, Camilla and Xander thought it to be a good idea if someone went to watch over Corrin, who is currently in Dia. Before they could even decide who would go, Camilla had already sped off on her wyvern as she cried, “Take care! And please, take care of this nasty situation for me, will you darlings?”

Leo can’t afford to be sloppy, otherwise, it’s Camilla who will be punished by Father for disobeying orders. This means that the enemy before him who cowers underneath him in fear cannot be spared. His pleas to spare his life are cut short when Leo deals the final blow, and he watches his enemy fall to the ground with a thud.

He lies there, unmoving. Upon looking at him, Leo only feels a sense of relief that his sister’s job is done. He closes Brynhildr and guides his mount over to his eldest brother to report in. “Marx,” he calls out. “Everything on my end is taken care of. How are things on yours?”

Xander, who places Siegfried back into its scabbard, gives his brother a light nod. “Things are just fine over here. Now all I can do is hope that Camilla and her retainers have caught up to Corrin in time before he leaves Dia.” There is a small pause between the two before the eldest brother speaks up again. “Leon, may I speak my mind quickly?”

Leo’s eyebrows quirk up in surprise. Xander isn’t one to lay his doubts and concerns on the table so easily. Still, Leo is willing to listen to his brother’s plights. “But of course. What’s on your mind, Marx?”

He tells Leo that thoughts of Corrin and their father eat away at him, and have done so for quite some time now. “I simply cannot comprehend Father’s recent actions. I know he’s a strict man, a little rough around the edges, but something feels… off.” Xander doesn’t know that he’s put all of Leo’s thoughts into words he’s never dreamed of uttering. “I do my best to protect Corrin, but this is all proving to be difficult, especially with Iago and Hans off their leashes.”

“I know,” Leo sighs. And Corrin, who makes wearing his heart on his sleeve a fashion statement, makes it easier for Iago to undermine him. “I want to protect Corrin too, but there’s only so much I can manipulate behind Father’s back. And speaking of Father, you’ve stolen the words right out of my mouth. Though, I’m speculating that maybe it’s the stress of the war that’s got him like this.”

_ And the loss of the two women he’s loved with all his heart. _

Leo wants to say it, but he doesn’t have the heart to. Xander knows it’s what he wants to say, but doesn’t coax it out of him. Their father truly is a broken man, no matter how hard he tries to hide it. “Right,” Xander says. “When the war is over, I’m sure it’ll bring him some stability he so desperately needs.”

Maybe not as stable as Queen Katerina and Queen Arete, but stable enough with all of his loving children by his side. After they stand in a considerably long, thought-provoking silence, Xander lightly clears his throat. “I’m sorry for burdening you with my troubles. I do want to thank you for listening, Leon. I really needed it.”

Leo shakes his head. “No, no. You aren’t a burden at all. This is what siblings are for.”

Xander smiles, but it doesn’t last long. He looks towards the now desolate battlefield. “Now that this mess is taken care of, I should inform you that Father wishes for me to tend to matters elsewhere.”

“Likewise,” says Leo. “I’m to head out to Nestra immediately. Hopefully we’ll meet up again soon.” The feelings are mutual. When the two of them part ways, he can’t help but replay their conversation in his mind. Xander says that something feels off about their father. Although they sort of danced around the subject, Leo is aware of the fact that both he and his brother know that more lies underneath the surface, especially with all his strange talk about Anankos as of late.

Even so, Leo puts those thoughts in the back of his mind, and closes his eyes to regain his composure. He breathes in and out steadily, and tries hard to shake the doubts in his mind. It works, but when he reopens his eyes, he notes that his vision has gone a little funny. The sky looks like a blur of grey clouds.

When his vision refocuses, Leo is sure that he’s looking up at his bedroom ceiling. He doesn’t make an effort to move. He just lies there. The images of the enemies he’s killed in battle flashes before his eyes. He remembers every detail of their mangled bodies that lie haphazardly on the battlefield. He remembers where each open wound is on their bodies and where each bruise is located. He remembers the way their faces twist in pain and the looks of pure terror and defeat they’d throw his way before ultimately meeting their end.

He doesn’t understand why he doesn’t feel anything for them. Not a hint of remorse or disgust… nothing. It’s a total contrast to the feeling that whirl inside him only when he’s fighting to incapacitate. It’s as if he’s completely empty while taking the lives from others. Though, when he’s awake, Leo doesn’t feel shaken up or distraught by this fact. It’s rather numbing, if he’s being honest with himself. Leo does think back to why the dream version of himself does what he does, and each time, he is brought back to one conclusion.

Family. _His_ family.

And he’s content with that.

* * *

 

Silently, Sakura slips him the book he’s lent her across the checkout desk at the library. His gaze darts from the small smile upon her lips to her hand that rests on his book. He also takes note of her manicured fingernails. They’re all pink, with the exception of her ring fingers which have cats painted on them.

Although he accepts the book back, he’s a little skeptical. She’s finished the book already? Sakura nods, saying that once she picked it up, she just couldn’t put it back down. Leo can’t really blame her for it. It is a good book after all. He rests his arms on the desk between them, and asks her what her thoughts are on it.

She bubbles over with light giggles that Leo finds endearing before she points out that all her thoughts are inside of the book. Leo frowns, and asks if it’s a jab at his forgetfulness. She shakes her head. “Oh, no. Not at all. I liked looking at your notes, so I put some of my own notes in there as well. Um… i-is that okay?”

Leo doesn’t answer at first. Instead, he opens the book and flips through a few pages. He looks back up at her once more after seeing what she’s replaced his sticky-notes with. “Hearts?” He asks. Sakura gives him a sheepish smile, complete with slightly reddened cheeks.

“W-well, those are the only sticky-notes I have,” she tells him. “I let a friend borrow my flower-shaped ones. I-is it that weird?”

He gives a small chuckle before returning his gaze back to the book. “No, it’s not weird at all. I just wasn’t expecting it.” Though, it shouldn’t have been surprising at all. All the pens he’s seen her use has some sort of cute animal print on it, and her binder is littered with Hello Puppy stickers.

As he looks over her notes, Sakura covers them with her hands. “Hey, don’t read them yet. M-maybe sometime later?”

“How am I supposed to talk to you about it if I don’t read them now?” He asks.

“I know… b-but you’re working. Won’t you get in trouble?” While she has a point, it’s not like many people come to the front desk for help all the time. Only during midterms and finals week when they have papers to write and need assistance in locating certain books. However, Leo closes the book and places it in his book bag.

She thanks him, and says that they can talk about it when he isn’t running the front desk. They share their goodbyes, and Leo makes sure that she’s gone, he pulls the book out of his book bag and begins to read over her heart shaped sticky-notes. No one is coming over to ask him a single question, so why not read her thoughts on one of his favorite pieces of literature?

Now he’ll truly be able to determine whether or not Sakura has good taste.

He’s only read a couple of her notes before a figure looms over him, and Leo can practically smell the smugness on this person as if it’s coming off in waves. He looks up, only to find himself face to face with Laslow. Leo gazes back down at his book. “Can I help you?” He asks dryly.

Laslow feigns hurt. Gently, he places a hand over his heart. “Why, Leo… How cruel of you to speak to me in such a manner. I thought we were friends? And besides, is that anyway to talk to someone who’s in need of assistance?”

“Don’t you have someone else to go bother?” He asks. Can’t Laslow see that he’s pretending to work here?

Laslow frowns. “Funny, you didn’t say anything like that to _Sakura._ ” The smug look on Laslow’s face returns when Leo finally looks up at him and it’s evident that he’s thrown Leo off his game. “Oh, I saw everything, Leo. It’s like a little romance novel unfolding before my eyes. Though, you might want to be just a little more gentle with a woman like that.”

Boy, Laslow sure is one to talk when he’s the one that scared her away upon meeting her.

He continues. “Your cold demeanor could be putting her off– Oh? Are those _hearts_ in your book? She left you _hearts?_ ”

Leo hastily shuts the book and drops it into his bag before forcing a smile. “You said you were in need of assistance, right? What can I help you with today?”

His roommate gives a light laugh. “Oh relax Leo, I’m just teasing you. I’m sorry, but it was too good to pass up,” he says. Leo rolls his eyes before Laslow continues. “I originally stopped by because I was in search of a book. I’ve had a paper assigned today about it and I really need to find it before anyone else gets their hands on it.”

Leo asks for the name of the book, and when he receives it, the computer is able to locate 10 copies. “Huh, there’s so few… Well, hand me your ID so I can reserve one for you. Then you can go pick it up. When’s your paper due anyway?” Leo asks.

“By the end of finals week. I thought I should snatch one up early and not wait until last minute, unlike _some_ people we know,” Laslow laughs as he hands over his school ID.

“Yeah, tell me about it,” says Leo. Once he’s done with all the technical stuff, the text book is Laslows to borrow for two weeks. “I don’t have time to help out with emergency cram sessions, I have my own studying to do.”

Suddenly, Laslow’s expression shifts into a look of concern. “Oh, I also meant to ask you Leo, are you alright?”

Leo knits his eyebrows together in confusion. “I’m fine. What are you talking about?”

“The other night, I could hear you talking in your sleep,” Laslow says. “Something about your father and war. And names I’ve never heard of. Marx and Corrin, I believe? In any case, are you sure you’re alright?”

He bites down on his bottom lip. It isn’t enough that he’s forced to think about them while awake, he also has to talk about them in his sleep too? How loud was he speaking anyway? Enough to rival Odin at two in the morning? Leo sighs, and runs a hand through his blond hair. “Don’t worry about me, I’m fine,” he lies. “I guess I have been a little tired recently, so I’ll be more careful. Thanks for the concern, Laslow.”

These dreams of his are beginning to become a pain.

* * *

 

Ever since his talk with Laslow, Leo hasn’t had a dream in a while. He supposes that it’s a good thing. Finals week is right around the corner, and he doesn’t want to be distracted. Laslow believes he’s gotten better since there’s no more murmuring of strange things in his sleep, but Leo isn’t too sure about that.

The dreams will come again, he’s certain of it. As to whether or not he’ll sleep talk through them, Leo can only hope that it’ll never happen again, as he doesn’t have control over himself while he’s asleep.

“Are you okay? You look like you’re spacing out a bit,” Sakura says, and Leo immediately turns his attention to her. She sits across the table from him at Stahlbucks with a cup of hot chocolate in hand. It’s a perfect drink for the cold weather they’ve been having as of late.

He nods. “I’m fine, I was just thinking. In any case, I’m glad you liked the book. Now I’m certain that you have good taste. For the most part.”

“Ah, what do you mean? We bonded over _The Do-gooders,_ d-didn’t we?” She asks.

“True, but everyone likes _The Do-gooders_ , so that doesn’t count. What matters is which book is your favorite,” he says, “and yours… well, it’s an _okay_ pick.”

It’s quite amusing to him when Sakura puffs out her cheeks and argues that the third book is beautifully written and has the best story. “O-oh right. Um, speaking of good stories, I wanted to share my favorite book with you too… but I’m not sure that you’d like it very much,” She says bashfully.

Leo smiles. “Nonsense. I’m sure that if it’s something you’re able to call your favorite, it’ll hold my interest. Besides, why don’t you think I’d like it very much?”

Her cheeks turn a light shade of pink, and Leo watches as she fidgets nervously. “W-well… it’s an adventure story, which I’m sure you’d like. Um, b-but it’s also a romance story too, and I didn’t think you were a romantic person…” When Leo’s gaze hardens, Sakura hastily tries to fix her previous statement. “I… I mean, n-not that to say that you _aren’t_ romantic because… w-well, I wouldn’t know, but more like the genre d-doesn’t interest you!”

Just what is she trying to imply anyway? Though, he can’t really fault her for drawing such a conclusion. He wasn’t too big on romance stories like Camilla or Laslow. However, “Just because there’s romance in doesn’t mean I’d reject a story entirely. It just has to be well done and believable,” he says.

Suddenly, Sakura’s eyes practically light up. Leo thinks that they have this unique sparkle to them, and she fishes out the book from her bag to hand to him. “Oh! W-well in that case, I think you’d really love it! The characters are so complex and interesting, and the story’s so good! Sometimes, I even caught myself feeling something for the villains in the story! Like the one time–”

“Hey, slow down a moment. I don’t want you to spoil anything for me,” Leo says.

Sakura covers her mouth. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m just really excited that you’re reading it!” As she gushes on and on about this story, Leo hangs onto her every word, completely enthralled by what she has to say.

* * *

 

“I knew this would happen,” Leo says as he closes the book Sakura has lent him. Both Odin and Niles give him sheepish smile and small, nervous chuckles before Leo remarks that there is nothing even remotely funny about this situation. He sighs. At least this time they aren’t asking for his help at the very last minute.

Their promises of dish duty and cleaning the common area for an entire month is getting to be quite old, but Leo still accepts them. They always (begrudgingly) follow through with their promises anyway. Leo, who is writing a paper of his own, manages to help the two of them with their studying. He can afford to multitask since there’s more than just a few hours to study.

“Hey Leo,” Odin starts, “what’s this term mean?”

Leo’s eyes gloss over the paper Odin is holding, and when he comes across the term, he frowns. “Odin, didn’t we go over this term for your midterms?”

Odin snorts. “Yeah right, like I remember any of that. Hah, good one buddy!”

Slowly, Leo closes his laptop. On second thought, maybe this study session will require all of his attention. “Listen, I’m only helping out for a few hours. After that, I need to start doing my own studying. Is that clear?”

Niles and Odin both give a salute and reply, “Yes sir,” at the same time. The two of them work diligently for about an hour or so before Niles casually asks when Leo’s family is coming to pick him up for the holidays. Unfortunately, Leo is leaving on the absolute last day that they are allowed to stay on campus. It isn’t because of his exam schedule or anything, but it does have to do with his father’s work schedule.

Odin tears his eyes from his work in front of him, practically brimming with excitement. “Have no fear, Odin is here! After this exam on Wednesday, I get to go home! You can definitely get a ride with us if you want.” As tempting as it is, Leo declines, and Odin is shocked. “What? But last one here has to do all the cleaning!”

“I don’t mind cleaning up,” says Leo. “Just don’t purposely leave this place a place a pigsty before you go.” Although he doesn’t mention it, Leo also wants to read Sakura’s favorite book in peace, and give it back to her before break begins. He’s been enjoying himself so far, but something always pulls him away from the story. It’s usually Niles and Odin’s nonsense.

“Hmm, are you sure Leo?” Niles asks. He doesn’t like the wicked smirk on his face. “Because I think you’re staying here for a different reason.”

When Leo visibly tenses, Niles begins to grin. It’s true that Niles has the dirt on almost everyone at this college, but he can’t possibly know anything more about Sakura other than the time she passed by their apartment, right? Unless Laslow said something. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh yes you do. You’re staying here for _her._ ”

“Her?” Leo and Odin both repeat.

Odin asks who “she” is and Niles obliges him. The girl that Niles is talking about isn’t Sakura, and all of a sudden, Niles has lost Leo’s interest. As usual, Niles makes some suggestive comments about Leo and some girl he’s only spoken to a few times in his life, Odin wiggles his eyebrows, and Leo tells them that their time is up and that he ought to be doing his own studying now.

* * *

 

“You aren’t very talkative today, a-are you?” Sakura says quietly.

Leo looks up at her momentarily, and takes in the demure expression on her face. When he feels his gaze has lingered for too long, he looks back down at his book. “That’s because I’m reading,” he tells her. He’s forced to stop when her hand covers the page, and she lowers the book.

“You aren’t reading, you’re speed reading…” she says. “Don’t just flip through it. Really enjoy it, okay? Oh, u-unless you don’t really like it after all…” In the few months that he’s known her for, Leo knows exactly how Sakura gets her way every single time. She does this thing where her voice gets smaller, and her lips quiver ever so slightly.

He ends up feeling bad all the time and obliges her. She’s probably the type of girl that has a doting father who’s wrapped around her finger. Little does Leo know that this isn’t some sort of tactic. This is how Sakura is normally. He sighs, and ends up putting the book away. “I never said I didn’t like it. So far, it’s been a good book. Honestly. But I was hoping to get it back to you before break starts so I could share my thoughts.”

Leo can see the relief on her face as she laughs. “Oh, thank goodness. I really thought you didn’t like it. But you don’t need to rush. Take your time with it.”

“I appreciate the thought, Sakura,” Leo starts, “but I won’t remember what I wanted to tell you about it once the new semester starts back up again.”

He can see Sakura fiddle with something in the pocket of her coat before she pulls it out and hands it to him. It’s her cellphone, and it’s very pink. “Um, w-well, if we trade numbers, you can tell me about the book that way, right?”

Leo grabs hold of her cellphone and enters his phone number. “Trading numbers, huh? If you really wanted my number, all you had to do was just ask, Sakura,” he says without even looking at her.

Sakura’s cheeks turn a bright shade of red as she vehemently shakes her head no. “Th-that’s not it at all! W-were doing this for the book!”

He lets out a small laugh. “Lower your voice, we’re in the library.”

“B-but… you can’t just say s-something like that out of the blue,” she mumbles. “It’s not very nice…”

“I apologize,” he says with a smile. “I was only teasing.”

Leo hands her phone back with his number now saved, and Sakura sends him a text message. “O-okay… I forgive you. B-but um… remember… th-this is just for the book, okay?” Sheesh, does she _have_ to rub it in like that?

“And only for the book?” He asks. “Not for any other reason?”

Her embarrassment is forgotten, and her cheeks are no longer red. Now, Sakura looks thoughtful. “Ah, well… there is another reason,” she says. “Friends should have each other’s numbers so that they can keep in touch, don’t you think so?”

Leo isn’t aware of the small smile that graces his lips. For a while now, Leo has always wondered what he’d call their relationship. Acquaintances seemed much too formal, and calling them friends when she was still so wary of him felt weird and way too casual. Now that Sakura’s said it, the two of them truly are friends, no question about it.

“I agree,” he says finally. “And I’m delighted to call you a friend.”

* * *

 

Snowflakes flutter down lightly, and cover treetops, car roofs and the concrete flooring. Leo and his father create messy tracks of footprints as they load some of Leo’s belongings into the car. He looks over the apartment once more, and makes certain that he hasn’t forgotten anything before getting into his father’s car.

When Garon adjusts the rear-view mirror, Leo catches a glimpse of the back seat, and his sisters are nowhere to be found. Where were they anyway? They love taking trips up to his school for some reason, especially Elise. Garon tells him that Camilla went out the night before and came back drunk at four in the morning.

Elise couldn’t be bothered to get up so early, so he left her behind. She’s sure to be in a sour mood when she wakes up to find Leo back at home, and knows that she wasn’t there for the ride.

The drive back home his mostly quiet, save for the low humming of the car’s engine and the woman over the radio who announces holiday sales. Garon cuts the silence, and asks how exams went. Leo smiles. They’re nothing he can’t handle. Soon, the car is filled with his father’s gruff laughter. “That’s my boy!” He grins.

A feeling of pride swells in Leo’s chest when he hears his father’s words. Garon isn’t one to dish out praise often, so it’s nice to hear every so often. His expression changes slightly when he thinks of the man who he calls father in his dreams. That man is… different than Leo’s father in reality. At least, he’s different during the war. Leo can recall a dream he’s had before the war between Nohr and Hoshido happened where his father would carry him on his shoulders, and it almost exactly mirrors the times when Garon would carry Leo on his shoulders when they visited the circus and Leo had been much too small to see anything if he were standing on his own.

Garon eyes his son’s pensive expression, and asks if there’s anything troubling him. Leo quickly shakes his head. “Not at all. I was just thinking… it’s been a while since I’ve last spoken to Xander. I wonder how he’s doing.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot to mention. Xander’s supposed to be coming come sometime tomorrow. Said he wanted to stop by and say hello since we haven’t seen him in a while.”

Leo is quite surprised. “Wow, and Camilla didn’t say anything?” Garon says that Camilla doesn’t know Xander’s coming home, or that he’s bringing a guest. He wants it to be a surprise, but Garon tells Leo because he says that Leo is too old for surprises. _And Camilla’s not?_ Leo thinks. “Hey, wait a second. Xander’s bringing a _guest?_ You don’t mean–?”

“I don’t know what kind of drivel your sister’s been putting in your head, but you really need to stop listening to her,” Garon says. “Camilla just likes to chat, that’s all. Looking for a ring, pah! Surely my boy would come talk to me when he decides he’s ready to settle down.”

Leo isn’t so sure about that, but he lets his father rant anyway. The only thing he can do really is sort of listen to his father while he stares out the car door’s window. There’s a small feeling of excitement in him that certainly wasn’t in him before. Xander is coming home in time for the holidays, and they can all spend some quality time together just like old times.

When he and his father pull up into the driveway of their house, Leo smiles. It hasn’t really occurred to him how badly he’s missed his home.

Although school is a nice change in pace, there truly is no place like home. Leo never knew how much he’s missed his bed until he’s woken up the next day feeling refreshed and alert. When the smell of fluffy pancakes and warm maple syrup fills his nostrils, Leo knows that Camilla isn’t so hung over that she can still manage to make breakfast.

He never knew how much he’s missed his sister’s cooking until he’s taken a bite into one of her pancakes. The taste is absolutely heavenly. Though, all he manages to say is, “This is pretty good, Camilla. Thanks for breakfast.” She pinches his cheek, and Leo isn’t sure if she does because she thinks he’s adorable or because she’s annoyed that he’s not speaking his mind and telling her what she wants to hear.

“Only the best breakfast for my baby brother,” she coos in a sickeningly sweet voice before letting go of his cheek. It sort of stings.

There isn’t much to do around the house now that he doesn’t have work to do, so Leo focuses of reading the book that Sakura lent him. It’s a good read, and a good way to pass the time. Leo is quite fond of the heart shaped sticky-notes she’s left in there, as they’re entertaining.

He wonders about her briefly. How is she doing? Is she having a good time with her family? Leo wants to text her, but decides against it. There will be plenty of time to catch up with her.

“ _Oh~!_ ” Elise says, peeking over Leo’s shoulder. “There are a bunch of hearts in your book!”

Leo keeps on reading. “I’m aware.”

“Oh yeah? Did your _girlfriend_ put them in there? Are they love notes?” She asks. “Oh my goodness! You have to tell me!”

Having had enough of his little sister’s antics, Leo closes his book. “First of all, love notes aren’t usually written on sticky-notes. And two, no it’s not from my girlfriend. I don’t have one.”

“Don’t lie to me, Leo! I know all about what happens in college. Everything’s on TV nowadays,” she says slyly. Elise is in for a rude awakening come next August. The sound of the doorbell rings throughout the house, and Leo offers to get it. He knows exactly who to expect anyway.

As soon as he opens the door, he’s face to face with his older brother, who notices how tall he’s gotten. When Elise and Camilla hear the familiar sounding voice, the two of them race to the door, with Garon trailing slowly behind them. The four of them all greet Xander right at the doorway, but their lips stop moving when their eyes fall on his guest.

She wishes them a good morning, and smiles as Xander puts an arm around her shoulder. “Everyone,” Xander begins, “I’d like you to meet my fiancé–”

“You’re **engaged!?** ” Garon cries in complete shock.

“Oh Father,” Camilla says smugly. “I hate to say I told you so, but I will anyway. I told you so.”

Leo has never seen a man as big as his father faint before, and for him to watch his father go down with a thud as his sister fans his face is… strange. Xander helps their father back into the house while Camila and Elise fetch him some water. Leo brings in the suitcases, but is distracted by the vibrations in his pocket.

He checks his phone briefly, only to see that he’s gotten a text message from Sakura. She hopes he’s gotten back home safe and wants to know how being home has been for him so far. Leo doesn’t hesitate to reply:

_ Well, my brother’s engaged and my father’s passed out as a result. If I can sum it up in one word? Dramatic. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't have a strong OTP for Xander, so I didn't specify who his fiancé was. (I'm terrible at decision making) But you can insert whoever you want! Hope you enjoyed it. (:


	4. Chapter 4

Winter is definitely Leo's favorite season. He prefers the cold winds that nips at his skin, rather than the scorching heat that drenches him in sweat and threatens to put him to sleep. The snow is always refreshing to look at, and the icicles that hang from the barren trees glimmer prettily in the sunlight.

Leo can't help but stare at them through the window of his classroom.

While he is content with the weather, he notices that a few of the students who make their way to their first class of the semester aren't so content. The only thing that forces Leo's gaze away from the icicles is when he catches sight of pink tresses through his peripheral vision.

It's a pleasant surprise to see Sakura walk into one of his classes. She even makes him smile when she takes a seat right next to him after spotting him. Her face is flushed, and her hair is a little on the wild side today. When he points it out, she pulls her knitted hat down on her head further, and mumbles something about a bad hair day. Leo doesn't think it's bad, just an interesting new look for her.

She sighs. "I spent forever on my hair this morning, a-and as soon as I stepped outside, the wind ruined it…"

Leo chuckles. "Not a fan of winter, I'm guessing?"

"N-not in the least. I almost slipped on ice today, and it's super cold!" Sakura complains before stretching her arms out towards him. "Look, my fingers are so cold that they're numb."

There is a slight hesitation at first, but Leo does clasp Sakura's hands between his own. They're bone chilling, and incredibly small compared to his. "Where are your gloves?" He asks her. "You need to dress properly for the winter."

Sakura gives him a coy smile. It's hard to tell if she's blushing or not because her cheeks are still so red from the cold. "Um, w-well… I spent so much time on my hair this morning that I was in a rush," she tells him. "I think I left them on my desk…"

Leo lightly scolds her, and says that she needs to wake up earlier if she's going to spend an hour on her hair in the morning. She frowns, but promises that she'll get up earlier. After she does, Leo finally lets go of her hands to give back the book she loaned him. "Here you are. I was going to text you and ask to meet up, but having class together makes this a lot easier."

She accepts the book, and asks Leo what he thought of it. His brow creases as he tells her that she already knows how he feels about the book. They spent a majority of their winter vacation texting back and forth. "Y-yes, I know. But I just wanted to hear you say it." The wry look he casts her way doesn't break the cheesy smile upon her face.

"The book was definitely well written. The action and the suspense was so well done that I could hardly put it down," Leo says in a monotone voice.

"And the romance?"

Her eyes are fixated on him, patiently waiting for him to speak. "As much as I hate to admit it, the romance was good too. I… was on the edge of my seat hoping that things would work out for them. And I was so relieved that they did," he says, almost as if it's taboo.

It's hard for Leo to describe the small squeal of excitement that escapes Sakura's smiling lips at that moment. She launches into her favorite parts about the main character's relationship with her significant other as he listens intently. Then she pauses. "Um, sp-speaking of romance… i-is your family… _okay?_ "

Oh right. Since being back on campus for a little over a day, Leo's temporarily forgotten about the soap opera he's left behind. "They're as okay as they're going to get," Leo tells her. After Garon woke up, he was incredibly upset with Xander, who hadn't told him a thing about the engagement.

Xander apologized, saying that he wanted to say something earlier, but was so caught up in his relationship that before he thought to tell his father, he was already down on one knee proposing. Garon calmed down, but Camilla exploited the situation further by asking when the wedding was.

At that moment, Leo tells Sakura that he could have sworn he felt the spike in his father's blood pressure when his brother said that it would be in June. Mid-June to be exact. When he told them this, there was only a week left until New Year's Day. "Now that February's almost here, we have a little over four months to help with preparations. After meeting with the other family, my father and my brother's fiancé's father don't get along, my older sister and the mother are arguing over who gets to bake the cakes, and the venue we thought we had booked is no longer available."

"W-wow…" Sakura stammers. "That sounds…"

"Like a mess?" Leo asks with a smirk. "Because it is. But it's fine, I'm sure we can pull through this one just like we have before."

Sakura lets out a small giggle. " _Before?_ This has happened before?"

Before Leo can even answer, their professor walks in and greets them. He starts to hand out papers, most likely the syllabus, and Leo whispers to Sakura that they'll talk about it later. After class is dismissed, which is a little later than expected for syllabus day, Sakura asks Leo to tell her the other stories about his family drama.

Leo thinks on it for a moment before he decides to tell her about the time Camilla went missing for an entire day. Sakura gasps. "W-was she okay?"

"Oh, she was fine. See, she lied to my father about going to some program at school when she was actually going to a friend's house," Leo said. "So when we checked with the school and they said she never showed up, my father was absolutely terrified." Before the two of them reach the doors to exit the building, Leo hands Sakura his pair of gloves. "I'd rather you didn't get frostbitten fingertips," he says with a smile.

Sakura returns the smile, giving her thanks before she puts them on. The two of them leave the building and chat about Leo's surprisingly amusing family drama.

* * *

For some reason that Leo can't comprehend, the campus is decorated in hearts and roses red, pink, and white. Sakura laughs, and explains that Valentine's Day is almost upon them. Did he honestly forget? How could he? Laslow hasn't shut up about it since February began. Something about finally going on a date – Leo didn't catch all of it, nor did he want to.

Sakura tells him that even though she doesn't like winter, she adores Valentine's Day. The decorations are always so pretty, and giving chocolates to the ones she loves gives her such a warm feeling. It's just as good as receiving them. She asks Leo what his favorite thing about Valentine's Day is, and he scoffs.

"Oh please," he says. "It's nothing more than a capitalist holiday. The company bigwigs want to earn some extra cash to line their pockets with, and they decide to play on the heartstrings of those who don't know any better. Suddenly, those diamond earrings for the girl you like sound really appealing, or that fancy dinner with the guy of your dreams will certainly get him to fall for you." Leo stops to look at Sakura's frowning face. "What?"

"And now I know for _certain_ that you aren't a very romantic person," she says jadedly.

Leo winces. "It's not that I'm _not_ a romantic person, I just prefer to look at things logically. Why spend a specific day purchasing silly items for a significant other when you can do it at any other time of the year?"

"It's n-not about that," Sakura says. "Valentine's Day isn't just for the gifts. It's to spend a day to cherish the ones who are special to you. S-sometimes we may take them for granted, so it's nice to have a day that reminds us to appreciate them, or to mix things up in our relationships."

Well, Leo certainly hasn't thought about it that way. He supposes that's why Mother's Day and Father's Day are holidays (and why money grubbing business men latch themselves onto them to make a quick buck). Leave it to Sakura to brighten his dull perspective on Valentine's Day with her positive thinking.

"I suppose you have a point," he says, "but you can't deny that not everyone thinks like that. The corporations are still making money off of it."

"I know," she tells him. "But I'm spending it the way that I want to. There's no harm in that, is there?"

He smiles. "No, I guess there isn't. You're free to do as you please, Sakura."

Leo watches as Sakura bites her bottom lip in thought. "Um… have you ever got a Valentine's Day present, Leo?" Leo narrows his eyes at her, and asks why she'd sticking her nose into his private matters. She giggles and takes his defensive answer as a no. "Oh Leo, I was only asking."

"You say that, but I can't shake the feeling that you're teasing me."

Sakura giggles. _She sure is laughing a lot these days,_ Leo thinks. But it isn't a bad thing.

He likes it.

* * *

"You said _what_ to her!?" Laslow cries incredulously, and Leo has to wonder who invited him into his room, because Leo certainly didn't hand out any invites. After Laslow made a comment about seeing Leo and Sakura together around campus more often, Leo offhandedly commented that friends sort of hang out together.

Laslow, who loves to pry into Leo's non-existent love life, asked what they spoke about, and Leo filled him in on what happened. This includes the bit about Leo telling Sakura that he wasn't a fan of Valentine's Day. "I only told her what I felt. Why are you getting so worked up over this, Laslow?"

He sighs dramatically, and flops onto Leo's bed. "Don't you see, Leo? She's completely infatuated with you – so much that she wanted to give you a Valentine's Day gift! And you ruined it! _Honestly_ , what kind of man tells a woman he hates a day where she _wants_ to give him something? I'm offended that you'd just squander your privilege like that! I have to work hard for a date while you just get affection tossed at your feet!"

"Okay," Leo begins. " _Someone_ needs to stop hanging out with Odin. As much as I appreciate your… concern, Sakura and I were only having a little talk. And I doubt she wanted to give me a Valentine's Day Gift."

"Oh yeah, not anymore since you broke her poor little heart," Laslow grumbles.

Leo takes his eyes off of his computer to glare at his roommate. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

Laslow rockets out of Leo's bed, and says that he's about to be late for dance practice. He doesn't hear Leo's snide comment about not letting the door hit him on the way out. When he leaves, Leo scoffs. It's the funniest thing he's heard in a while. Sakura? Infatuated with him? This was the girl terrified of him just a few months ago; the same one who couldn't bear to be within a 10 mile radius of him.

He can't help but chuckle to himself about how silly the notion is.

* * *

There's something that Sakura is hiding from Leo. He can tell because of the way she smiles and fidgets when he looks her way. She's been keeping this up ever since they greeted one another this morning. Recently, Sakura has certainly been a lot more playful around him now, but Leo will admit that he rather this than having her struggle to keep eye contact and shy away from him.

"Is there something you'd like to tell me?" Leo asks, quite finished with her little antics.

Sakura shakes her head, but the smile on her lips is still present. "Oh _no,_ " she says with a laugh, "I have nothing to say."

Leo throws a jaded look her way. "You, my friend, are a terrible liar."

She tells him she really doesn't have anything to tell him, at least not yet anyway. Sakura asks him to wait after class, and although he's quite curious, he obliges her. He immediately regrets his decision, as his mind is already going through the things she could possibly tell him 15 minutes into a 3 hour class.

When class is over and the two of them exit, Leo asks what Sakura had on her mind earlier. She smiles warmly at him, wishes him a Happy Valentine's Day, and hands him a small plastic bag of chocolates, tied up in pink ribbon. Leo marvels at the bag for a while before he asks why she'd spend money on something like this.

"Ah, I didn't buy them… I m-made them," she says coyly. "I think homemade things are the best, s-so I worked really hard on it. B-but… those chocolates are my way of saying thank you."

His lips part ever so slightly. "Thank you… for what?"

"For… for having patience with me," Sakura answers. "I know we got off on a rocky start, a-and you were going out of your way to be nice to me even though I wasn't putting in the effort. So, I wanted to thank you for being such a nice person."

They are only halfway across the cobblestone bridge when Leo stops to look at her, and she stops to look back at him. The chilling February winds rustle through their hair, and pierce through the fabric of their coats, but neither one seems to mind at all.

For once, Leo is at a loss for words. Between the homemade chocolates she's given him and her kind words, Leo isn't able to accurately name the feeling in his chest. He feels elation and a new sense of admiration for Sakura. His body feels warm, especially the pit of his stomach.

Leo clears his throat, doing his best to shove those thoughts aside. "Although I appreciate your gift, I can tell you right now that I'm not as nice of a person as you make me out to be."

Sakura's laughter fills the air. It's always so sweet and gentle, just like she is. "I think you are. S-sure, you may be a little rough around the edges, but I think that's what makes you all the more endearing, s-since you were so understanding of me."

The warmth in Leo's body rises to his cheeks, and all of a sudden, _he's_ the one who can't bear to hold eye contact with Sakura. "Stop saying things like that," he scolds her. "It's embarrassing." Especially since he knows that she's innocently complimenting him. Though somehow, her words make something in him stir.

Sakura only smiles. "Um, i-is this really your first Valentine's Day present?"

It isn't, but it's the only one that has ever made him feel like one is supposed to on a day like this – cherished. But he can't find the right words to express himself, so Leo lies and tells her that he's never received one before her. Sakura seems to take pride in the fact that she's given him his first Valentine's Day gift, because there's a small glimmer in her eye and her smile is the widest he's ever seen before. She tells him that she's glad she thought to give him one.

With that, Sakura tells him goodbye, and leaves him to stand alone on the cobblestone bridge with a hand full of chocolates and a mind filled with thoughts of her. His feelings about her are as cryptic as when the two first locked in this exact spot, however, his feelings are cryptic for an entirely different reason.

On his slow walk back to his apartment, Leo carefully unties the velvety ribbon on the plastic bag and pops one of the small chocolates into his mouth. It isn't bad at all, actually. The flavor isn't too sweet, and the chocolate just seems to melt in his mouth. She's a surprisingly good baker.

It's funny, really. Last year, Leo didn't really know what to make of Sakura, the girl who stood opposite of him on the battlefield in his dreams. Now, Leo still isn't sure what to make of Sakura, the girl who hands him Valentine's Day chocolates and tells him the most heartwarming things he's ever heard in a honeyed voice.

Laslow is wrong. Sakura isn't infatuated with him. Instead, Leo feels like she's charmed him with her kindness.

* * *

Leo looks at all of his siblings' smiling faces with joy upon mentioning that with Xander with them, they're all reunited again. It's a thought so pleasant that the dark reason for their boat ride to Hoshido is temporarily forgotten. It is only brought up by Elise, rather cheerfully, after Corrin's heartfelt comment about being the big happy family they're meant to be.

Camilla lightly chastises her, and says they are not going to play. She reminds her of the battles that await them, and Leo thinks about the possibility of run-ins with the Hoshidan family. No doubt they'll meet again, no matter how badly Corrin wishes to avoid it, but for some reason, Leo's thoughts drift to the youngest of the Hoshidan siblings.

Maybe it's because he's overheard Elise get upset with Azura over mentioning her. She wasn't sure how to handle Elise's playfulness, and mentioned the Hoshidan princess' name – Sakura, if he remembers correctly – and Elise had stormed away from her, accidentally bumping into him as she did.

Though is seems that the two of them have patched things up since then, as Elise is currently talking Azura's ear off. Leo thinks about Sakura once more, but all he wonders about her if she's successfully learned to dry her tears on the battlefield since the last time he's seen her.

Corrin is the one to break his thoughts, and asks him if everything is alright. Leo says he's only in thought, but he appreciates the concern. He lets out a small laugh when Corrin makes a light hearted comment about their great tactician always in thought, and Xander soon joins the two of them. Their conversation is short-lived when a soldier approaches them and says that pirates are aboard their ship.

It's not that Leo expects to have a break during wartime, but it would sure be lovely if they could breathe for just a second.

With the creaky floorboards and constant rocking, a ship is no place for proper battle, and yet, here they are trying hard to keep their footing. Some men go overboard, never to be seen again while others are slain and their bodies sway helplessly with the ship.

When they catch the pirate who's masquerading as a Nohrian soldier, Leo quickly suggests that they kill him. As intricate and compelling as this man's story about Azura is, Leo would rather not take any chances with having a thief around. He takes comfort in the fact that Camilla readily agrees with him.

Although Corrin is hesitant, he agrees to go through with Shura's execution. Leo is certain that it is the right thing to do, but as soon as Shura's blood spills, Leo's eyes widen in shock. Corrin isn't there anymore, and neither are his siblings. Leo lies on his side, and stares at the alarm clock on his desk. It reads 5:27 a.m.

He lets out a slow, ragged breath. These dreams of his are starting to become a little too much to handle all of a sudden. And to make matters worse, no matter how hard he tries, he just can't seem to fall back asleep.

* * *

"You didn't stay up too late studying, did you?" Sakura asks quietly. Leo, who has been going in and out of sleep, quickly opens his eyes and sits up straight at the desk. Since the library is a bit crowded at the moment, Sakura suggests that two of them should study for their upcoming exam in her room.

Because never in a million years will Leo bring her to his apartment for a study session. With his roommates around, they'd never get anything done. However, Leo _still_ isn't getting anything done because he drifts off to sleep so easily. With a sigh, he runs his fingers through his hair. "No, it's not that. I haven't been sleeping well as of late."

Sakura looks at him with a sympathetic smile. "Oh! If that's the problem, then chamomile tea right before bed should help."

He appreciates her desire to help, but he isn't sure that tea will help fix his problems. "Thanks, but I have no problem falling asleep. I've been having these… really weird dreams," he admits. Mentioning them to Sakura is a bit frightening, but if anyone has the heart to understand him, it's her.

Slowly, Sakura sets the text book she's holding down on her bed, and looks at him with curious eyes. "You mean like nightmares?" She asks.

Are nightmares really the right word to describe them? At one point, they made him happy, and during another, they were interesting and he always looked forward to them. Now, he isn't so sure. "I guess you could call them that. They've been startling me awake, and I haven't been able to go back to sleep. I just… kind of lie there."

"Oh, that sounds terrible," Sakura frowns. "Um, what are your dreams about?"

Leo's teeth sink into his bottom lip. He wants to confide in her so badly so that maybe its weight would ease up on him, even if slightly. "I…" he begins, and Sakura nods. She's being patient with him. "I'm not…"

"You're not…?"

"I don't really remember them," Leo lies. "They're pretty clear while I dream but when it's over, I know next to nothing about them." He can't do it. He can't bring himself to tell her about them, even if she's the only one who'd understand. No matter how hard his mind commands him to do so, his lips don't move the way he wants them to.

This truly is frustrating.

"H-hey," Sakura calls out. "Why do you look so sad? Forgetting dreams are normal, aren't they?" When he doesn't respond, she awkwardly traces shapeless patterns onto her pink and white duvet. "Um… w-we can stop studying early if you want. You know, since you're t-tired and all."

"It's fine. I can keep studying with you," he says. Sakura starts to ask if he's sure, but Leo already has his nose in his book. She follows suit. Sometime later, Leo can feel his eyes getting heavy once more. Everything sounds faint and muffled, like Sakura's voice. She's saying something, but he doesn't have the energy to ask her to repeat herself. Instead, Leo buries his head into his arms to get comfortable. The last thing he remembers hearing is laughter.

When Leo awakens, his mind feels a bit hazy, but he comes to his senses upon seeing the string of LED lights and posters of pop idols that decorate the room. As he sits up, a small blanket slips off one of his shoulders. Did Sakura put this there? Embarrassed that he's fallen asleep in her room, he starts to apologize to Sakura only to see that she's drifted off to sleep as well.

The corners of his mouth twitch upwards ever so slightly, and Leo removes the blanket Sakura so graciously draped over him and places it over her instead. Briefly, he thinks of waking her, but decides against it. After all, she did let him catch up on some much needed sleep. He begins to wonder what his next move should be when the door opens, and in walks who he presumes to be Sakura's roommate.

He watches her eyes as they move from him to her sleeping roommate, and then back to him before she says, "Woah, I'm sorry! I didn't realize Sakura was having company."

Leo grits his teeth, and tries to fight off the blush on his cheeks. He fails miserably. "No, don't apologize – this is your room after all. Besides, I was just leaving." They give each other sort of an awkward nod before Leo hurriedly grabs the rest of his belongings and exits their dorm room.

This is so embarrassing. She's caught him at such a bad time too – what the hell was he thinking standing at Sakura's bedside like that? And there is no doubt in his mind that she'd question Sakura about who he was and why he stood next to her while she slept. He can already hear giggling coming from her room. Leo definitely feels a headache coming on.

* * *

Thankfully, Sakura's roommate is understanding of him, though Sakura does inform him that she often teases her about that day. Still, it's a relief for Leo and one less thing on his plate that he needs to worry about. Camilla has impeccable timing, because right after midterms, she gives him a call.

After pleasantries are out of the way, his older sister cuts straight to the point. All this prep for Xander's upcoming wedding is stressing her out. The bride-to-be's mother, or "that nasty woman" as Camilla likes to refer to her, not only butts heads with Camilla on the cake, but decorations as well.

Leo suggests that maybe the bride should be the one in charge, and Camilla admits that she is, but her mother keeps getting in the way and suggesting other things that delay them. Or so Camilla says anyway. With the way she's stressed out, one would think that this is Camilla's wedding, and not her older brother's.

Because of this, Camilla has a proposition for her younger brother. She'd like for him to come home and act as a sort of mediator between the two. Leo isn't sure that he wants to do it. After all, shouldn't this be Xander and his fiancé's job? Camilla says that they're much too busy doing other things, and the wedding planner in her promised them that she'd work wonders for their wedding ceremony and reception.

She just didn't account for the irritation that is the mother-in-law.

Camilla starts to beg, and finally, Leo begrudgingly gives in. Any plans made to hang out with Sakura are out of the window now, but Leo guesses can overlook it if it helps make Xander's wedding a success.

"And that's why I'm going home for the weekend," Leo explains to Sakura, who gives him a sympathetic smile. "I know I said we'd watch _Finding Robin_ as soon as it came out but…"

Sakura shakes her head. "No, no. I understand. Family matters are important, so you should tend to them. Besides, we can always go see it another time."

Leo's brow furrows. "You don't have to wait on me to go see it. You should go with someone else."

"Oh, but I'd rather go with you," Sakura says innocently, and a hint of blush dusts Leo's cheeks. "Besides, if I watch it, I'll want to talk to you about it, and then I might end up spoiling it. And then–"

"Actually," Leo cuts her off, "maybe you should wait to see it. I don't trust you to watch it and _not_ spoil something for me."

Sakura lets out a sheepish laugh. "Well, I hope you have fun at home. Or, at least try to."

He says he'll try, but no promises. Going to the movies with her is something Leo considers to be fun, but now that that's ruined, he'll just have to find something else to keep him entertained. It's safe to say that he can rule out his family. As amusing as his family drama is in hindsight, dealing with it in the moment is rather stressful.

* * *

"I am mentally exhausted," Leo groans as soon as he and Camilla enter their home. While Leo is thankful that the meeting between he and the two women didn't end in a screaming match, but the side eyeing, accusatory tones, and borderline whining practically made his head spin.

"I'm sorry, darling," Camilla says. "Was that terrible woman bothering you?"

Leo frowns. "You both were." He ignores his sister's flinch. "Why does it take _me_ to get you two to somewhat see eye to eye?"

When Leo sits down on the couch, his sister follows suit and looks at him with apologetic eyes. "Okay, I admit it. My behavior wasn't the best either. She isn't _completely_ in the wrong. But having someone else come in to evaluate the situation helped tremendously, and I'm glad it was you and your savvy negotiation tactics."

He grumbles something unintelligible, and suddenly, Camilla seems to understand why he's so moody. "I got in the way of some plans back at school, didn't I?"

"I wanted to see _Finding Robin_ today," he says.

"Oh dear," Camilla bites her bottom lip. "You love that series. But I don't understand. You can see it at any time, can't you?"

Leo's gaze hardens. "With a friend."

Camilla notes that "friend" isn't plural. "…A lady friend?" Leo's silence tells her all she needs to know. To his surprise, she doesn't tease him about it or pinch his cheeks and go on about how much her baby brother is growing up. Instead, she smiles and quietly says, "I know how you can make it up to her."

"By going to the movies next week?" Leo asks dryly.

"Well yes, I suppose," Camilla says as she rests her index finger on her chin. "But that's not what I meant. See, Xander is letting us bring a plus one. Are you catching my drift?"

Invite Sakura to his brother's wedding? Leo isn't sure he wants her to meet his family yet. Or at all. "I see what you're saying, but I'm don't think I should. You all would probably scare her away."

"Oh, don't be so callous," she frowns. "Don't you want to romance her?"

Leo looks pensive for a moment. "Camilla, if I'm being honest with you, it really isn't like that. And besides, that thought hasn't crossed my mind."

Camilla smiles, and gets up from the couch in one swift motion. She heads to her room, but not without a piece of advice for her younger brother. "Then maybe you should let it cross your mind, see where those thoughts take you. Who knows? You might find that you like them."

Leo rolls his eyes. He'll take his chances inviting someone else to the wedding. Even so, not all of what Camilla has to say is "drivel," as his father likes to put it. Leo does think there's merit in trying to figure out his feelings, rather than ignoring them.

The trip home is surprisingly enlightening.


	5. Chapter 5

Today is the warmest it’s been all week, and Sakura says she’s excited because she is able to wear the dress that her roommate got her for her birthday. The bottom half of her white and mint green vertical striped dress flutters effortlessly in the breeze. The top of the dress, compete with a pink lace collar and ribbon, is formfitting. Her pink tresses are curled nicely today, and Leo notices that there’s a pink tinted sheen on her lips. Sakura is so happy that she does a little twirl, and Leo can’t help but give a low chuckle. She looks lovely today.

Even so, he has to ask if she’ll be cold later. Springtime weather is always so fickle. Sakura reminds him that they’ll be dismissed from class by 1:30, so she’ll have plenty of time to escape the drastic decrease in temperature that happens during the evening. When the two of them step inside their classroom, Leo can already feel a change in temperature already. It’s a subtle change, but it’s there.

Sakura gasps. “Th-they have on the air conditioning today? But it’s not even that warm outside. It’s only the beginning of April.” Leo explains that this isn’t the first time something like this has happened. One year, most of the academic buildings had the air condition on until sometime in late October. Another year, the heat wasn’t turned on until multiple students and faculty members complained about it in December.

He smirks when Sakura scrunches up her face in response. How could the school be so negligent? Leo shrugs in response. He’s stopped stressing himself over it last year. Their little conversation gets most of the class talking and complaining about the school as well, but the chatter stops when the professor walks in.

 “No, no. Don’t stop your conversations,” he speaks. “As a new professor here, I’d like to know just how terrible the school can be.” Their professor is genuinely curious, and most of the students don’t hold back with anything they particularly dislike about the school. Leo and Sakura share similar looks before laughing. Who would have thought that they’d be the reason class was delayed for 20 minutes?

They’re an hour into the lesson when Leo notices the goosebumps on Sakura’s soft skin and the way she hugs herself. He shrugs off his navy blue blazer and hands it to her with a wink. When she takes it from him, Leo can’t help but think about the way her hand grazes his own for a second before she mouths “Thank you,” and shimmies into it.

Although it’s a bit too big for her, she looks quite comfortable in it. A little while later, she quietly asks if he’s cold. He gives a nonchalant shrug as a response. As soon as class ends, Sakura is the first one out of the building, since she doesn’t want to be in that icebox of a classroom a second longer than she needs to be. Leo trails closely behind.

Sakura breathes a sigh of relief. “It’s much warmer out here. I’m so glad.” Leo admits that he kind of misses the air-conditioning. “You liked it? It was way too cold in there for me… Oh! Thank you for letting me borrow your blazer. It really helped.”

After she hands it back to him, Leo casually slips it on and smoothens out any wrinkles. “Not a problem. By the way, I didn’t know I missed your birthday.”

“Oh, you didn’t miss it,” Sakura says. “My roommate just gave this to me as an early birthday present, since I’ll be home on my birthday.”

When she mentions spending time with her siblings, it isn’t hard for Leo to picture them, and it makes his dreams that more bizarre. He briefly wonders if Corrin is at home waiting for her as well, but doesn’t ask. “So, what would you like for your birthday?” He asks.

“Were you… planning on getting me something?” She asks. When Leo nods, she waves her hands in front of her. “No, no! I-it’s okay, really! You don’t have to–”

“I know I don’t have to,” Leo cuts her off, “but I want to. So, what would you like?”

Sakura hums in thought for a moment. “W-well, I’ve always wanted to visit Castle Town. I hear they have the best sweets there, and I want to try them.”

“Castle Town, huh?” Leo says quietly. “I think you’d enjoy it. I had their signature chocolate cake once, and it was pretty amazing.”

“Y-you’ve gone before!?” She cries. “Oh, you’re so lucky!”

He smirks. “There’s one in my hometown, so my family goes there on occasion. And we’re also getting the wedding cakes there.” Camilla and the mother-in-law-to-be couldn’t argue against the cakes there being amazing, so the two of them settled on that when Leo proposed the idea.

“Woah, that’s amazing… wait. Wedding _cakes_? As in more than one?”

“Yes,” Leo sighs. “They couldn’t decide on what kind of cake they wanted, so we’re having two different flavors. That, and it turns out that my sister’s mother is allergic to the cake they originally wanted.” As if they don’t have enough drama already, Leo’s father decides to invite all of his ex-wives. And Xander, who still feels bad about not telling him about his engagement, obliges him. It’s not so bad though. It’s all coming out of his father’s pocket anyway.

Sakura lets out a small giggle, but then quickly covers her mouth. “I’m sorry,” she says. “I shouldn’t be laughing. Something like this isn’t very funny, i-is it?”

Leo shakes his head. “No, no. Go ahead. I’m sure I’ll be laughing about it in three years’ time as well.” For right now, this wedding in nothing more than a big headache. He prays aloud that his own wedding never turns out like this one.

“Y-you want to get _married?_ ” Sakura asks with widened eyes.

“I don’t think I like that tone of yours.” When Sakura catches the lackluster look he throws her, she quickly tries to backtrack, and says that she doesn’t mean it like _that_. Of course she doesn’t. She’s just surprised since his views on romance is so cynical. He can’t really argue with that. However, her words get Leo thinking.

Maybe they’re not _as_ cynical as he originally thought.

* * *

 

Niles is the first one to barge into Leo’s room as soon as his conversation with his sister ends. He runs his hand through the silky, silver strands of his hair, leans against the doorframe in what one would call a seductive position, and winks flirtatiously at him.

“Hey there big boy,” Niles purrs. “I couldn’t help but overhear you have a plus one for your brother’s wedding. You inviting anyone?”

Leo doesn’t even meet his gaze. “Certainly not you, if that’s what you’re implying.”

Niles gasps, and his art of seduction crumbles away. “Oh come on! Your family really knows how to party! Don’t you remember the time I went with you to your little sister’s birthday party, and her mom–”

“ _Yes,_ I remember,” Leo cuts in hastily. He’d been hoping to forget about what transpired that day, as the memory gives him second-hand embarrassment. “See, this is why I’m not inviting you. You’ll just start trouble, and that’s the last thing we all need.”

“ _Me?_ _Start_ _trouble?_ ” Niles asks as he rests a hand over his chest. “Why, I’d _never!_ ”

Leo turns in his chair to say something to Niles, but the two of them are temporarily distracted when Odin decides to pop in. “What’s this about trouble I hear? Can we make it double?”

“Get out,” Leo hisses through gritted teeth, and Odin lets out a hearty laugh.

“Aww, don’t be like that Leo! I really wanna go to the wedding too!” He beams. “I bet the food there’s gonna be so good, I mean, rich people always get the good stuff! Unless it’s those weird, tiny stuff they serve on giant plates. Cause my aunt has those at her dinner parties and man do those things taste horrible.”

Niles scoffs. “You can’t just ask to go and then complain about the food you’ve yet to try. You get what you’re served. Sheesh, the entitlement!” He cries. “Leo, is _this_ really the man you want to take with you on your brother’s most important day?”

A sigh of exasperation escapes Leo’s lips as Niles and Odin bicker over who gets to attend the wedding with him. “Please stop. None of you are invited to the wedding.”

“What wedding?” And to make matters worse, Laslow decides to make an unexpected appearance in Leo’s room too. When Odin fills him in, his eyes practically shine in delight. “Leo! I _have_ to attend this wedding! Do you know how many cuties I could pick up at a wedding reception?”

“None, because you’re not going either.”  Leo rubs his temples in an attempt to calm himself down. “You all would just cause unnecessary grief.”

Odin is about to protest, but Laslow slaps a hand over his mouth. “Well, if we’re not invited, who is?”

Suddenly, the conversation he and Camilla had last month starts to replay in his mind again. Sure, Sakura is the best option out of four that he has to choose from, but Leo doesn’t have the heart to ask her. Camilla also said that he needs to think on what it is that he wants from Sakura.

He’s still unsure about “romancing” her, but the thought of spending more time with her isn’t such a bad idea. “None of your business,” he finally answers. The boys seem to take this as a sign that Leo already has a date, and let out wolf whistles and congratulatory applause. Niles, who dons a wicked smile, asks who she or he is, and Leo has to reiterate that it’s none of his business.

Despite this, they go one to guess who this mystery guest could be. Niles and Laslow rapidly fire out names of people they know as Odin thinks to himself. Then he repeatedly snaps his fingers as he tries to describe her appearance, since he doesn’t know her by name. All it takes is for him to say “The shy one,” for Laslow to put on a shit-eating grin, as Niles so colorfully put it.

“Leo, you _dog_ you!” Laslow cheers. “You’re actually taking Sakura as your date? I suppose I can’t be too upset then.”

“I can’t believe this is the first I’m hearing about this,” says Niles. “You’ve gone and gotten yourself a girlfriend, and _I’m_ the last to know about it?”

His lips curl into a scowl. “She’s not my–! Look, can you all be quiet so that I can get a word in for once? Without you all jumping to conclusions?” They boys are silent, and Leo gives his thanks before continuing. “I haven’t invited Sakura.”

“Yet,” Odin says before Laslow and Niles shush him.

 Leave it to Odin to do the one thing Leo asks them not to do. “I’m not inviting her,” he insists. “Listen, Sakura is… a delicate subject. And I’d appreciate if you guys didn’t bug me about her. At least until I sort some things out.”

“Delicate how?” Niles asks. “Does she have a boyfriend already? Or do your families have bad blood between them or something?”

He ignores the first part of the question, and isn’t sure how to answer the second part. In his dreams, they certainly do, but Leo doesn’t think it’s wise to talk about it right now. In reality, he doesn’t think there’s anything going on between their families. He doubts they even know about each other outside of his dreams. “No, it’s nothing like that. She’s just… different.”

“Niles please,” Odin says. “Couldn’t it be that this gentle maiden is a delicate topic because our buddy’s heart, shrouded in darkness, yearns for the light that is Sakura?”

Leo really hates when Odin speaks like that. “Theatrics aside, I have to agree with Odin,” Laslow says. “I don’t think you’re as in tune with your feelings as you think you are. And Niles, why does everything always have to be so dark and dramatic with you?”

“I’m just a sucker for pain and suffering,” he grins. “Well, when she isn’t a ‘delicate’ topic, let me know. Poking fun at you is what I live for.” With that, the three of them leave Leo’s room and begin to talk about other things, like their plans summer vacation. Leo, however, is finally relieved to have them out of his hair.

* * *

 

Leo’s time with Sakura on their trip to Castle Town is different than any other time they’ve spent together. When they’re ready to go, Leo jokingly offers her his arm and asks, “Shall we?” He’s surprised when Sakura loops her arm around his, and gives a small nod and a gently laugh.

They’ve never been this close before, where he can feel just how soft her pale skin is and the quickening of his heartbeat when she gives his arm a light squeeze. Her lips are moving, but Leo doesn’t hear a word she’s saying. Instead, he takes in the expression on her face. Her smile is wide, and full of life. Her eyes, as kind as ever, squint ever so lightly, and her cheeks are a rosy red.

She looks happy.

His thoughts of her stop when she asks if he’s alright. He’s kind of spacing out. He assures her that he’s perfectly fine before she asks him to guess what she’s learned today, and no, she didn’t learn it in class. He asks, and she says, “My mother’s decided to throw my father a surprise birthday party. Apparently, I was the last one to know.”

Leo smirks. “I mean, I can see why, seeing as though you like to spoil things for people.”

Sakura opens her mouth to argue, but quickly stops herself. Instead, she hangs her head low. “Th-that’s exactly what my brother said…” She mumbles. Leo doesn’t have a hard time figuring out which one could have said it. It has to be the rude one with the long, silver hair.

“So, why a surprise party?” In the words of his own father, Leo would say that her father is a bit “too old for surprises.”

She hums in thought for a moment. “Well, I think it’s because my father never likes to celebrate his birthday, and he’s always working so hard. My mother thought it’d be a good idea to invite some friends and relatives to surprise him – ones he hasn’t seen in years.” Sakura tells him that their family and friends are visiting from various countries, and although she’s usually nervous about large parties, she’s kind of excited to see old faces again, as well as a couple of new ones.

Her enthusiasm is enviable, and Leo wishes he had even an ounce of it for Xander’s upcoming wedding. “It seems like your father is a very popular man, and lucky too, since he has all of you to plan this for him.”

She gives a coy smile. “I just really hope he likes it, and is surprised. A-and I hope he doesn’t catch on to what’s going on, because I’m always the first he asks, and I always crack under pressure!”

It’s all so easy for him to picture – Sakura always being honest with her father because… well, how could she not be honest with him? She’s honest about most things. “Yeah, you are a terrible liar. I suppose that’s why he picks on you first.”

Sakura frowns. “Y-you’re not making me feel any better, Leo…”

“I’m only telling you what you need to hear,” Leo says before he pulls away from her hold on his arm. Like a gentleman, he holds open the door to the pastry shop for her, and the smell of icing and freshly baked cakes immediately fill his nostrils. Sakura is practically glued to the display case, and her eyes look over each and every treat carefully.

Leo, who comes up behind her, shoves his hands in his pockets and asks if sweets are so serious that she has to push her face into the display case. Sakura argues that it _is_ serious, but removes herself from the display case to look at the sweets from afar. “W-wow… those macarons look really good… Oh, but the doughnuts look great too. Ah, but you said the chocolate cake was amazing! I can’t decide!”

“I can decide for you,” he says. “That strawberry shortcake looks good. You could always try that.”

Her brow begins to furrow. “I don’t know… it looks a little too plain.”

 _Plain?_ Leo frowns. He shrugs it off though. “How about that custard pudding over there?”

“Hmm… it’s a little small though.”

Leo lets out a small sigh. “Hey, I’m trying to make an effort here,” he says in a dull tone of voice. She apologizes, but says that she’ll let him surprise her. “Are you sure? You weren’t exactly a fan of my last two suggestions.”

“I’m positive. I’m sure I’ll like whatever you pick out this time!”

“Even if I pick out that plain looking strawberry shortcake?” He asks.

She pauses to think it over. “Y-yes, even the strawberry shortcake.” Although she says she’s alright with it, her eyes are screaming “please don’t buy it.” When she leaves to find a table for the two of them Leo looks over the display case one more time. It’s only when his eyes drift past the counter that something catches his eye.

Sticky buns are carried from the kitchen to the display case, and one by one, the baker carefully places them inside. That seems like a good purchase. Leo orders two of them, and they baker puts them in one of their smaller carryout boxes, decorated in lace and has bakery name written in cursive.

With a plastic fork and knife in hand, Leo carries the box of pasties over to Sakura, who claps her hands in delight upon seeing the box. “Oh, thank you so much! I can’t wait to see what’s inside – it smells really good!” She must be delighted that it doesn’t smell like strawberries.

Slowly, Sakura opens the box, and the smile on her face broadens once she realizes what he’s brought her. As it turns out, sticky buns are one of Sakura’s favorite treats, and she’s so glad that he thought to get them. When he hands over the plastic utensils, asks if he wants to try, but he respectfully declines.

Not even two minutes pass before Leo realizes that the pastries he’s just purchased are all gone. He stares at the empty carryout box before looking at Sakura’s blushing face. The crumbs and honey linger around her mouth. “You… you ate them already?” He asks, in total disbelief.

She looks away from him, and her cheeks turn a few shades darker. “…I can’t help myself around sweets,” she mumbles.

“Apparently,” Leo says as he hands her a napkin. “Your face is a mess.” She gasps, grabs the napkin, and hastily turns away from him as she grumbles about how embarrassing this is. An unexpected laugh leaves his lips, and when she looks back at him in shock, he has to apologize. “I’ve just never seen you look like that,” he says. He has to bite down on his bottom lip to keep from laughing again.

“I… I could say the same thing about you,” Sakura counters with a smile on her face. The crumbs are gone for the most part. “This is the m-most I’ve ever heard you laugh!”

Is it? He can’t help let out another chuckle, and Sakura giggles as well. Soon the air is filled with laughter, and neither of them know why their laughing anymore, only that it’s happening. Once again, Leo takes in the happy expression Sakura dons. It’s such a stark contrast to the anxiety and sorrow he sees on her face the second time she enters his dreams.

* * *

 

Leo knows that there’s something off about that shoddy excuse for an archduke. He’s too carefree, too casual, but Leo despite his speculations, Leo doesn’t want to cause Corrin any more grief. Though, now that he’s readying his tome, he regrets not speaking up about something so painfully obvious.

He can’t dwell on it, however. It’s just as Corrin said, they don’t have time to waste when lives are at stake. If he’s to be honest with himself, Leo didn’t think he’d see the day where he’d actually go out of his way to save the lives of his enemies. Given the circumstances, it only seems fair. Unlike Zola, he isn’t willing to stoop to dirty tricks to come out on top. Such cowardly behavior doesn’t befit a Nohrian prince such as himself.

So instead, he fights against those in his own army, because although it looks wrong on paper, it feels like this is what he should be doing. The pages in Brynhildr flip over each other as the wind rushes past him, and that familiar feeling of magic tingling in his fingertips comes to him so easily as he vanquishes his foes. Never has Leo considered himself a rebel, but it certainly feels that way as he walks in his brother’s footsteps, just several paces behind him.

A smirk appears on his lips. For an older brother, Corrin is a terrible role model. However, Leo would be damned if he didn’t admit to himself that Corrin, who has the devil’s own luck, possesses some of the qualities of a great leader. When he and a few other troops are finished routing the enemy soldiers at the rear, Leo makes his way to where his siblings are, but not before a sniffling sound catches his attention. It’s coming from the room where the Hoshidan siblings are locked up.

Leo can hear some sort of banging, as if someone is throwing a blunt object into the wall repeatedly. A low voice speaks out. “What are you doing?”

The noise stops. “What does it _look_ like I’m doing?” A voice much harsher replies. “I’m trying to break out of this stupid place.”

“Takumi, you know that isn’t a good idea,” says another. “You’ve no weapons, and we’re alone. What will you do once you get out? The Nohrian soldiers will kill you on sight, you do know that, don’t you?”

Takumi speaks again. “Well, there’s no use putting off the inevitable, is there? I’d rather go out like that than just sit here like an animal and wait to be slaughtered!”

 Someone gasps sharply, while another person lets out a sigh of exasperation. “Would you cut it out already? You’re not exactly making this situation any better.”

“Sure, because a situation like this, where our traitor of a brother and his family imprisoning us, could possibly get better!  Thanks, Sister. I feel _so_ enlightened!”

“You know what? I’ve had it up to here with you–!”

“Hinoka, Takumi. _Stop._ ” The low voice speaks up again, but this time, in a more stern voice. The room is quiet once more, save for someone’s soft sobbing. Leo can guess whose it is. He feels that he’s heard enough from them, and there’s no point in eavesdropping, not like there was to begin with.

Just as he steers his mount to the direction of his siblings, someone calls out, “milord.” The crying immediately stops, and Leo speculates that it’s most likely out of fear. He looks to his left, only to see his retainer who approaches him casually. He doesn’t have much to report on, and only asks if his lord is feeling alright.

Leo appreciates it. “I’m alright. Thank you, Zero. For now, we should keep moving.” And they do. Leo reaches his siblings just in time to aid them in taking down Zola and his cronies, and Leo takes it a step further by ridding him of his pathetic life. He anticipates Corrin’s questions, though he did think that his brother would have learned by now that they are indeed fighting a war.

Even so, Corrin’s innocence and compassion is enviable.

“A rat like Zola must be cut down upon defeat for the good of all. What would you have us do? Accept him as an ally only to suffer betrayal later?” Leo asks as he takes in the contemplative look on Corrin’s face. “The scoundrel would have just bided his time until he could blab to Father or Iago. But the dead can't speak, can they?”

Leo’s comment more or less drives the point home that things are better this way, and Corrin begrudgingly accepts it. Believing the matter to be settled, Leo turns to leave, but not before he hears his brother say, “Leon... You would have made a really frightening enemy...”

The comment makes the corners of his lips twitch upwards slightly, but he pretends he doesn’t hear it. “Hm? Did you say something?” He asks, and Corrin, who is a terrible liar, awkwardly says no. The thought of Corrin being frightened of him makes him want to laugh, but at the same time, Leo truly is relieved they aren’t enemies. He can’t bear to think about the two of them standing opposite of the battle field from one another.

His small smile doesn’t last very long, because at the dining table, he’s come to the realization that Archduke Izana really is excitable. _Disgustingly_ excitable. It also doesn’t help that the Hoshidan royal family sits across from them with various expressions ranging from frustration to self-pity. Leo can feel his brow crease in annoyance as he listens to Takumi shout at Corrin across the table. Where exactly are his manners?

“So he needs your permission to express concern?” Leo sighs. “Hoshidans are the worst. I'd drop the attitude if I were you. After all, we just saved your sorry lives.”

“Let me make something perfectly clear,” Takumi speaks with a scowl and narrowed eyes. “I feel no gratitude for what you've done. Saving us was the natural thing to do, even for Nohrian scum.”

Already tired from exchanging just a few words with the Hoshidan prince, Leo does his best to ignore the rest of the bickering and awkward conversations that continue through the course of the banquet, but it’s a little hard to when his sister yelling about Corrin being _her_ brother instead of Sakura’s. He has to wonder is she’s truly put the whole comparison mishap with Azura past her. It certainly looks like she hasn’t and Leo thinks that maybe she and Azura should speak about it again, just to be on the safe side.

As he looks across the table once more, he doesn’t miss the way that Sakura tugs on Takumi’s sleeve for some sort of comfort.

When dinner is over, they’re all free to do as they please. Leo is thankful for it, even if it is only for a few hours. He’s not sure where his siblings have run off to, but he’s content in the courtyard with a book. At least, he’s content with it for about five minutes. Someone’s deep breathing and footsteps keep him from being able to concentrate.

He so desperately hopes that the person approaching isn’t the one with the sharp tongue and attitude problem. When he catches sight of who it is, he’s slightly relieved to know that it’s not Takumi. However, it’s not any of his siblings either, so Leo doesn’t feel all that comfortable. But neither is she.

One look at him is all it takes for him to be able to read the anxiousness of her face and see her pupils shrink in fear. “I-I’m sorry, I d-didn’t know anyone w-was out here,” she says with trembling hands. “I’ll g-go now…”

His eyes return to his book once more. “It’s fine. You can stay.”

“A-are you s-sure…?” She asks meekly.

Leo nods. “It’s not like I own this place anyway. You’re free to do whatever you please, so long as you abide by the rules. Don’t let me tell you how to spend your time here.”

“Um, o-okay…” she mumbles, before strolling through the courtyard. She keeps her distance from him, and through his peripheral vision, he can see her sit down by a patch of wild flowers. Thankfully, she isn’t much of a talker, but the air around them still feels tense. Perhaps he should have asked to be alone.

He debates on whether or not he should say something to ease the tension between them. For once, Leo decides that he should take a page from Corrin’s book and attempt to be somewhat sympathetic. “Zola is gone now. Permanently,” says Leo casually. “You don’t have to worry about him anymore.”

She looks startled, as if she’s surprised that he’s even speaking to her. He doesn’t blame her though. He’s surprised at himself for speaking to her. “O-oh, d-did you mean the a-archduke’s impersonator?” She asks. He nods. “I see… um, l-like Ryouma said earlier, th-thank you all for rescuing us. Y-you have our gratitude…”

“You need not thank us,” says Leo. “It’s just as Marx said, had our situations been reversed, we’re sure you would have done the same.” She affirms the statement, and the two of them fall into another silence. This time, Leo doesn’t feel the need to say anything to her, and can properly focus on his reading.

One blink is all it takes for the lovely courtyard that he relaxes in to completely disappear. His mind feels hazy, and when he finds that Sakura isn’t with him, he calls for her in a low voice and waits for her to respond. When she doesn’t, it finally clicks that this isn’t his dream anymore.

And for once, he’s glad that it isn’t, because they’re starting to feel like nightmares. He so clearly remembers how terrified she looked – almost the same exact look as when he first tried to talk to her. Sakura felt so distant, and he did as well. Leo knows that in his mind, he’d been begging himself to say _something_ to her. He can’t stand to picture the sight of her quivering lips and how her voice trembles, and yet for some reason, he hardly reacts to it in his dreams.

 _And the crying,_ Leo thinks before slapping his hands on his face. He’s sure that he never wants to hear her like that again. He never wants to have these dreams again.

But of course they don’t go away. Overtime, they only grow worse.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, school's starting up soon and I won't be able to update as frequently as before so I guess this is me making up for it. Cheers to education!
> 
> Enjoy!

Despite all the drama, the wedding really seems to be coming together. The wedding chapel is decorated quite beautifully, with a wedding arch that holds interwoven roses purple and white and lightweight sheer fabric that drapes along the seats closest to the aisle. The reception area, which is at least an hour's drive away, is on its way to becoming beautiful, but Leo isn't too stressed about it, as there is plenty of time for it to look the way it's supposed to.

While Leo oversees the work that's being done at around nine in the morning, his little sister, who still wears rollers in her hair, gives a yawn. "Why are we up so early? The wedding isn't until 2:30," she grumbles. Someone is a little upset because she and her friends stayed up most of the night, and then startled awake when her father came knocking on the door.

Leo fights back a smirk. "You knew you had to get up early. You have no one but yourself to blame. And besides, we need to see to it that everything is perfect for this wedding."

"Ugh, I know it's my fault! Don't remind me!" She cries. "And I thought Xander already checked on everything! Why are we rechecking it?"

"Because things like this need to be checked periodically," Leo answers. "If we see something wrong now, we can call it out and get it fixed in time, rather than finding it too late and then scrambling at the last minute to fix it." Content with what he's seen, Leo shoots his brother a text message that everything looks in order so far, and that Camilla will stop by around noon to check the progress.

Right now, Leo just wants to get back home so that Elise will stop her complaining and go back to bed. As they step out of the reception area and into the hall, Elise takes in her surroundings, and asks why there are other people in the building so early. "This venue is built to hold multiple events at once. The others are here because they have morning events going on."

"We have to share this place with other people?" Elise asks. "That's kind of lame, don't you think?"

He shrugs. "We won't even know they're there, honestly. You know, unless you're trying to crash someone else's party." When Elise gets a mischievous glint in her eyes, all Leo has to say is, "Don't," for her to call him a party pooper. He'll bear the title proudly if it means that the police won't show up to drag his sister off.

"I'm just saying, who wouldn't want more people to party with?" She asks. "I don't need to eat because I can do it at Xander's wedding. If we can share a space, then we can all share a party!"

"No, because in this entire space, we're separated by different floors, walls and doors. So technically, we're not sharing a thing."

"Tomato, _tomato!_ Same thing!" Elise chirps.

Leo prays that his sister and her friends don't sneak out and do something ridiculous, for Xander's sake.

* * *

As soon as they reach home, Elise goes back to her room, but not before a reminder from Camilla that she needs to be up by noon and dressed and ready to go by one o'clock. Camilla sighs. "That girl, honestly. I told her to make sure to get to bed on time. Do I need to give her a curfew?"

"Camilla, she's 17. Don't you think she's a little too old for that?" Leo asks dryly. She looks him over once before she turns her attention to her cellphone, and doesn't even bother to respond to him. He narrows his gaze. "Did you not hear me?"

The silence between them drags on for a few seconds longer than need be before she speaks. "No, darling. I heard you."

"So then you're ignoring me," says Leo.

"I'm not ignoring you, I'm busy sending a text message," Camilla says. "You know, to my _date._ "

Leo heaves a heavy sigh. "You're _still_ on this? I told you I wasn't inviting her."

"I didn't say anything, Leo. But if the shoe fits, then wear it," she counters. "And I hope it gives you blisters." Well someone is a little spiteful today, isn't she? And no, Camilla doesn't stop there. She continues on, "I can't believe you gave your plus one to Elise. What about making it up to her? What about _romancing_ her? Did my words not sink in with you at all? You and Xander are the worst when it comes to love, I swear. I pity the poor girl."

"We already saw the movie together, it was fine," Leo frowns. "And those were _your_ words, not mine. I only said that those thoughts never crossed my mind." When it appears that Camilla is still upset about the whole thing, Leo decides that being upfront with her will help. "Listen, I thought about what you said, I really did. And I thought about inviting her but then… something weird happened."

All of her annoyance practically washes away. She sits up on the couch and throws him a curious look. "Something weird?" She asks. "Between you two?"

"Not really between us since she doesn't know about it," says Leo who runs a hand through his hair. "I don't know, I just had a really… weird dream about her."

Camilla is silent for a while, as is Leo. He can feel when she places a gentle hand on his shoulder and gives it a reassuring squeeze. He looks into her motherly gaze. "Oh sweetie," she says, "dreams like that are normal. Don't fret over it."

Leo's brow wrinkles in confusion before his cheeks grow uncomfortably hot. He's not sure what's more embarrassing, the fact that his sister had the gall to even imply something so lewd or the thought of Sakura – oh no. This isn't where his mind is going to travel today. " _Camilla!_ " He hisses as he inches away from her. "It's not like that! It's wasn't _that_ kind of dream!"

Sometimes, Leo thinks his older sister is even worse than Niles, because at least Niles is just having his fun. Camilla is serious, and that's a lot more dangerous. "No? Well if not wet dreams, then what?"

Did she really have to say it out loud like that? Leo shushes her, and reminds her that their father is in the other room. "It's about those dreams I sometimes get about being a prince," says Leo. "In that dream, she was taken prisoner and sent to be executed, and I saved her."

"But that's a good thing, isn't it?" Camilla asks. "You're like her knight in shining armor, and she's your princess. How romantic."

Except he didn't feel very knightly in his dream. He only did it out of common decency. "It wasn't romantic though, it just made me feel bad. I could hear her crying, and at one point, she looked absolutely terrified of me… not that I blame her. Everything just felt strange. And I wanted to talk to her about it, but finals got in the way, and she left campus before I did. I couldn't ask after that."

"I see. Okay, I'm not mad at you anymore. I know how strange those dreams are for you," Camilla says. "But promise me you'll talk to her about it? She sounds absolutely lovely, and I'd hate for… whatever those dreams are to ruin this for you."

"Camilla, I've barely said anything to you about her," Leo says.

She smiles. "Yes, but I just know she's lovely. She managed to catch your eye after all, and that's no easy feat. Especially for someone who's as love intolerant as you." How nice to know that Sakura isn't the only one who thinks he's terribly unromantic. "So, why don't you tell me about her? What's her name? Is she cute? Oh, why must you hold out on me?"

"Okay, okay! I'll tell you about her, just relax." Camilla's eyes are practically glued to him, and Leo clears his throat before speaking. "Well, her name is Sakura and she's going to be a sophomore in August. She's…" his voice trails off as he thinks about accurately describing her to his sister.

It's sort of difficult to put into words about the kind of person Sakura is, but he tries to do her justice. "Sakura is a kind and patient person. A little shy when you first meet her, but when she warms up to you, you really get to see how bright and bubbly she can be. She's soft-spoken, but has brilliant things to say, and you could honestly listen to her for hours–" Leo pauses to see his sister who makes the most unpleasant face. Her cheesy smile is the most annoying. "Camilla, the way you're looking at me is making me uncomfortable. Please stop."

"I'm sorry darling," she says with a flip of her hair. "It's just that… you have it so _bad_ for her. Please tell me when the wedding is because I'd love to help plan it." Camilla gives a laugh before she leaves her brother's side and heads towards the bathroom. "I should be getting ready now, but don't think this conversation is over. We're picking right back up where we left off tomorrow."

"Me and my big mouth," Leo sighs, and buries his head into his hands.

* * *

Leo tightens the violet tie around his neck ever so slightly, and smoothens out his freshly tailored suit jacket. That, along with the charcoal vest underneath, fits him closely, but not so close that it's too tight. Combined with his black loafers and silver watch around his left hand, Leo has to say, he looks pretty damn good.

If only he could say the same for his brother, who struggles to properly put on his tie. Leo pushes away his trembling hands, and offers to do it for him. Xander breathes out slowly, then gives his thanks. "I'm not sure why you're so nervous," Leo says. "You're about to spend the rest of your life with the woman you love. Shouldn't you be excited?"

"I am excited. Ecstatic even," says Xander. "But the feeling is a lot more complicated than that. I always dreamed of this day, and now for it to become a reality, I… God, I'm so nervous."

"About _what?_ " Leo still doesn't understand. "Because if it's about the décor or something, I can assure you that–"

Xander cuts him off with a low laugh. "It's not the décor, Leo. It's about finally being with the one I love. I'm not regretting this decision at all, but to stand in front of our families joined together, I… ah, you'll understand when your time comes." Leo rolls his eyes, and finishes with the tie around his brother's neck. He moves to retrieve Xander's jacket. "Maybe your time will come sooner than you think, with the way Camilla has been talking about you – hey! That wrinkles easily!"

Leo gives a small apology, and hands his brother's suit jacket to him before he can do anymore accidental damage to it. "Why does Camilla have to talk so much? Whatever she told you, it's wrong. End of story."

"Don't be too harsh on her. She only told me as a way to distract me from my nervousness earlier," Xander says. "And please, don't act so callous, little brother. It doesn't hurt to admit that someone makes you happy. Though, I never caught her name… Care to fill me in?"

"How about I do it later?" Leo asks. "Besides, this isn't about me. Today is your day, so we'll talk about it whenever your honeymoon's over."

Xander is silent for a moment. "H-honeymoon?" He parrots, and Leo heaves a heavy sigh before he attempts to calm his brother down. Despite what Xander says, Leo is positive he'll never understand his brother's nervousness, nor does he want to understand it, as he's too much of an over thinker.

* * *

After the exchange of heartfelt vows, golden rings, and a warm kiss shared between two souls who love each other so, Xander is now a married man. Even though he isn't one for romance, there is a sort of pride that swells in Leo's chest at the sight of his brother's smile so soft and tender as he looks at his blushing bride.

The guests cheer on the beautiful bride and handsome groom, followed by their bridesmaids and groomsmen. Leo, who bears the title of best man, walks down the aisle just a few paces behind his brother with the maid of honor who wraps her arm around his own. He's faintly reminded of the time he and Sakura linked arms and headed to the bakery together.

He hasn't had much time to speak to her, since wedding rehearsals have taken up so much of his time. At the same time, Sakura tells him that helping her mother with party planning has left her very tired. Leo thinks he should at least shoot her a quick text message, but doesn't get the chance to.

As soon as he steps out of the wedding chapel, the maid of honor slips away from him, tells him that they'll see each other at the reception hall and takes off. Leo watches her go, but not without a playful jab in his side from Elise, who wiggles her eyebrows at him. He has half a mind to ruffle up the hair that took her forever to do. He doesn't, only because he doesn't want hairspray on his hands.

The wedding reception is where everyone really comes to life. Elise and her two school friends dance as if it's their last day on Earth, Xander flashes his wife's garter that he so clumsily fished out from underneath her dress for all the guests to see, and Camilla is ruthless when it comes to catching the bouquet. It's not even as pretty as it used to be, seeing as though it lost a lot of petals when she and another woman fought over it.

It's a little embarrassing when his mother comes to greet him and tells him how handsome he's become. Yet, it's also heartwarming since the two of them don't speak often, but he appreciates when they do. Sadly, their relationship is the kind where they can only be around each other for a week at most before they begin to grate on each other's nerves.

Though, his mother is beginning to annoy him just a bit when she points out the maid of honor from across the room and tells him that he should ask her for a dance. Leo tells her that he isn't really fond of dancing, nor is he very good at it. Their conversation ends when his father decides he wasn't to talk to her, and Leo takes this as an opportunity to slip away from the party.

All he needs is a few moments away from all the picture taking, the DJ's blaring music, and the crowded dance floor, so he steps into the hallway. A mistake on his part, as it is much warmer out here than it is at the reception. He's thankful he thought to leave his jacket on his chair since the party began, even if he runs the risk of Elise getting cake frosting on it.

He takes his phone out of his pocket – seven text messages. Three are from Laslow who asks if there are any cuties around, and if so, to take pictures. There's one from Odin who asks to save him a piece of cake and three more from Niles. One is a pictures of his bicep with fresh ink. Another is a picture of his face twisted in… pain? But there's a hint of pleasure in there as well.

His text message reads: _It hurts so good._

Leo didn't even know that Niles had planned to get a tattoo this summer. He starts to reply, but the clicking of heels by the nearest staircase grabs his attention. The grip around his cellphone tightens when he catches how quickly her face lights up upon seeing him. And he instinctively moves towards her while she practically races down the stairs to greet him, as he is worried that she'll trip.

She doesn't, and when they stand right before each other, the two of them simultaneously ask, "What are you doing here?"

"For the wedding, of course," Leo answers. "…And you?"

"I thought I told you that we were throwing my father a surprise birthday party," Sakura answers. "D-did you forget?"

What a coincidence. Sakura mentioned that her father's birthday was on a weekday, but she never told him they were celebrating it on the weekend. "No, I didn't forget. I just didn't expect to see you here. And… all dolled up for that matter." Leo almost didn't recognize her for a moment with curled pink hair and lips colored red. Her party dress is made of pure chiffon and is an ivory color that falls just above her knees. The bottom half is as flouncy as her hair while the bust hugs her close. A mature look for her, he must say.

However, she looks a little self-conscious when he points it out as she plays with the hem of her dress coyly. "D-do I look w-weird or something?"

"Not at all," he assures her. "If anything, you look stunning."

"Oh! W-wow, I… th-thank you," she manages to stutter out while her cheeks turn a rosy red. "A-and you look nice as well…"

He scoffs. "Sakura, you don't have to compliment me because I complimented you."

"N-no, I mean it," she insists. "That suit looks amazing on you. You look so sophisticated... a-and handsome." When she finally looks into his eyes, he thanks her, and she laughs. "Oh my goodness, I'm so awkward."

"Yeah, you kind of are," he smirks. "Anyway, why are you out here anyway and not at the party?"

"Ah, I just needed to get away from it all for just a little while. I was going to text you but then I remembered I left my phone in my purse."

Leo offers her his arm, but this time, it isn't done as a joke. "If you want, we can walk around together. I was hoping to catch a break from the reception myself."

Sakura smiles, and links her arm with his. "Well, let's go then."

They don't have a clear plan as to where they're going, they just walk. Upstairs and down the hall, downstairs and through the corridors; neither of them pay attention to their surroundings, only each other. Sakura tells him how surprised her father was and that he was so embarrassed that he walked right out of his own party, only for her older siblings to push him back in.

Leo tells her of his of his brother's nervousness, and how he caught his father shed a small tear when they were pronounced husband and wife. He was just as shocked as anyone else who caught it. No one knew what a big softie Garon could be, but it's to be expected. He doesn't have the heart to completely abandon any of his ex-wives, after all.

Their conversation is interrupted when someone calls her name, and she quickly wrenches herself from Leo's arm. He's shocked, and she quickly gives him an apologetic smile, then turns to face someone Leo is positive he's seen before. "Um, y-yes?" She answers timidly.

"We haven't seen you for a while, so Hinoka asked me to–" He pauses to stare at Leo, and Leo stares right back. Looking at him in real life feels surreal, and if he didn't know any better, he'd say that the man in front of him felt the same. Their eyes narrow at the same time. Then, the man turns away from him to look at her. "Who the hell is that anyway?" He asks casually.

Rude inside _and_ outside of his dreams.

"Or you could ask the person standing in front of you instead," says Leo.

Before anyone can say anything else, Sakura hastily cuts in between them. "Uh, um! T-Takumi, th-this is Leo. H-he's my friend from school. And L-Leo, this is my brother Takumi."

"Oh," Takumi says dryly. "So you're the guy she keeps talking about."

Sakura lets out a sharp gasp and tugs on her brother's beige suit jacket. " _Takumi!_ " She cries with cheeks red in embarrassment. "Wh-what are saying? I told you it w-wasn't like that…"

He blinks. "Was I not supposed to say anything?" Sakura only mumbles about how Takumi always says that _she's_ the one with the big mouth. "Anyway. If you're going to be out here, you should at least let Mother know or something. I'll stay here and keep your… friend company."

Leo wants to roll his eyes, but if he does, he swears they'll roll into the back of his head. "Oh, b-but…" Sakura tries to protest, but Leo doesn't let her get another word out.

"It's fine. I don't mind. Do what you need to do," says Leo. Although hesitant, Sakura leaves the two of them there, and promises that she'll be back in a flash. They nod, and when she's out of sight the glaring match between them continues. "I'm not sure if anyone's ever mentioned this before, but you're quite rude."

" _I'm_ the rude one?" Takumi asks. "You've been giving me the stink eye ever since I showed up. If anyone's rude, it's definitely you." Had he been giving Takumi the stink eye the entire time? He wasn't aware. "Just to let you know, this isn't personal. I'm obligated to hate you because I'm her older brother."

"A doting older brother. How sweet," Leo says sardonically. "You're wasting your energy, honestly."

Takumi lets out a dry laugh. "Ha, am I? Because I sure didn't miss how close you two were before I called out to her." Takumi revels in the eye twitch Leo gives, as well as the small blush across his face. "I knew it! 'Friends' my foot. Look, all I'm saying is that you better not try anything funny."

"Nothing 'funny' is even going on!" Leo cries, but Takumi isn't listening anymore. Instead he waves him off, and heads in the direction that Sakura went in. Leo folds his arms and gives a heavy sigh. He hadn't thought about meeting Takumi so soon, especially after that bizarre dream he had before school let out for the summer.

Maybe the two of them are meant to be enemies if their encounters are like this inside and outside of his dreams. Still, Leo shouldn't be annoyed with Takumi for being protective of his sister, even if it does put him in a little bind. But he will be annoyed anyway, because Leo knows that he's somewhat of a spiteful person.

He scoffs. "I better not try anything funny. I'm sorry, do I _look_ like a comedian to him?" He's still bitter about their encounter, but his feelings of annoyance wear off as soon as he catches sight of Sakura running towards him. He scolds her about running in her heels and she slows her pace.

"I'm sorry! I tried to get here as fast as I could," she breathes. "Oh, wh-where's Takumi?"

"He went back to the party I'm assuming," says Leo.

At this, she begins to fidget nervously. "U-um… Takumi didn't s-say anything, d-did he?"

Leo's brow furrows. "Say anything about what?"

"Not about anything specific, just… you know…" she mumbles. "I… I know he can be cold with people he doesn't really know, so if he said anything that bothered you, p-please don't take it the wrong way. He's really great when you get to know him and–"

"Sakura," Leo cuts in. "Relax. I'm completely fine, so don't stress over it, okay?" She gives a small nod, and the corners of Leo's lips curve upwards just slightly. "Now then, would you like to continue our walk?" She doesn't even hesitate to loop her arm around his own and the two of them pick up where they left off.

Sometimes, Leo doesn't pick up a word she's saying and finds himself staring at her and the way her lips move. After some time, he concludes that she looks absolutely ravishing in red. That in combination with how close they are, Leo starts to think that maybe not all of what Camilla said untrue, as much as he doesn't want to admit it.

There's some sort of tranquility he feels around her. Her presence is as soothing as she is warm and friendly. Leo thinks it's safe to say that he cares about her a great deal, especially after the way she sent his mind into a panic when he'd just woken up from his dream about her.

Without realizing it, the muscles in his arm tense up. Sakura stops to look up at him with concerned eyes and asks if he's okay. Leo bites down on his bottom lip. Will he be able to properly tell her about his dreams this time? Will he scare her off? It's only when she says, "It's okay, y-you can confide in me," in a gentle voice that he has the confidence to try.

"How about we sit down and talk?" He asks. The two of them sit on a couch near the door to Xander's wedding reception. Her eyes are fixated on him as she waits patiently for him to speak, and somehow, Leo has the courage to look her in the eyes. "I had this dream a while ago," he starts, careful of his wording this time around. The last thing he needs is for Sakura to believe he's some sort of pervert. "You were in it."

Sakura smiles. "Wow, you dreamt of me?" When she puts it that way, it sounds rather embarrassing. He tries to correct her, but her lips move faster as she lets out a small giggle. "I hope that dream me didn't do anything strange."

"No, it wasn't anything you did," he says. "But the dream itself was kind of weird."

"What happened?"

"Okay," Leo breathes. "Stay with me on this. The dream was set in this bizarre place… medieval times I want to say? Anyway, I don't know why it happened, but you and–"

"Leo!" Someone calls out, and he lets out a groan loud enough for Sakura to hear. He just found the courage to talk to her about it and now their conversation will have to be saved for another day. Though, he supposes this is his fault. He's been gone for so long that someone should have noticed by now.

He's relieved (and surprised) to know that it's Xander who comes to look for him. What a disaster it would be if anyone else saw him seated next to Sakura. Camilla, Elise, his father – they'd all embarrass him to death. "Hey," Leo stands to greet his brother. "Why did you come out here to look for me? You should be in there enjoying your big night."

"Stepping out to find you doesn't mean I'm not enjoying myself. And you weren't very far away either. Actually, I came out here to…" Xander's voice trails off, and his eyes widen ever so slightly in surprise. Leo trails his line of sight until he finds himself looking at Sakura, who stands right behind him. All of a sudden, she looks like she's not feeling well.

She looks terribly pale. Her eyes, that now lack the wondrous twinkle they've held all night, are dull with smaller pupils. The silence between the three of them is bone-crushingly heavy, and for a moment in time, it's as if Leo doesn't exist anymore. It's as if no one exists anymore, and the two of them are having some sort of silent conversation.

And it's starting to weird Leo out. "Did you need something, Xander?" He asks, and just like that, the two of them snap out of their trance-like state. Sakura turns her head away from the two of them and doesn't make any eye contact while Xander keeps his eyes solely on Leo.

"I was going to say that I came out here give my thanks for all you've done, nothing too serious… Though, I hadn't realized I was… interrupting something."

_You don't know the half of it._ "It's fine, don't worry about it. Oh, where are my manners?" Leo lightly taps his forehead. "Xander, this is Sakura – a friend of mine from school. Sakura, this is my older brother." Though for some reason, Leo feels that this introduction is rather pointless.

Slowly, Xander extends his hand to Sakura. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Sakura."

She's hesitant, but she eventually shakes his hand. "L-likewise," she says in a voice barely audible. Leo assures her that she doesn't need to be so shy, and at his words Xander gives a knowing smile.

"Ah, this wouldn't happen to be the young lady Camilla told me about earlier, would it?" Leo takes it all back. Xander is just as embarrassing as the rest of his family. There's absolutely no one he can count on to make things go smoothly for him.

"Xander, please," Leo hisses.

His older brother lets out a small laugh. "Oh, calm down Leo," he says before turning his attention back to Sakura. "I didn't think I'd meet you so soon. I've heard good things about you."

"O-oh, th-thank you…" she stutters out. "I… um, I've h-heard good things about y-you too… like um, l-like the wedding! Uh, c-congratulations, M-Marx."

"Marx?" Leo and Xander repeat at the same time.

All of a sudden, everything feels as if it moves in slow motion. The shared looks of surprise upon Leo and Xander's faces are practically cemented as Sakura's cheeks turn a vibrant shade of red. She looks absolutely mortified of what she's done. She takes a step backwards, then another.

"I-I'm so s-sorry, I…" her lips tremble. "I… I didn't m-mean to…" As soon as he catches sight of the tears that begin to well up in her eyes, Leo instinctively reaches out for her, but she shakes her head no. Wordlessly, she runs off and doesn't look back, despite how desperately Leo calls her name.

He turns to Xander, who looks just as stunned as he is. "I… I have to go check if she's okay."

"By all means," says Xander, and Leo doesn't waste time chasing after her. Once he's raced up the stairs, he catches a glimpse of her white dress as she turns the corner, and he follows pursuit. His heart beats against his chest rapidly as he calls her name again, only to get no response.

Leo grits his teeth. She isn't difficult to catch up to since she isn't so fast in heels, but what makes him come to an abrupt halt is when Sakura runs past Takumi, who makes an appearance into the hall from their designated party room. It's enough time for Sakura to run into the ladies' room with heaving shoulders and a sob, and it's more than enough time for her older brother to take in the entire scene before he gives Leo one of the nastiest scowls he's ever seen.

" _You!_ " Takumi cries. "What did you do!?"

Leo flinches. How is that he's become so unlucky all of a sudden? "I didn't do anything, I swear! This isn't what it looks like–"

"Oh yeah, like hell it doesn't!" Takumi shoots back. "I see her running away from you in tears, and you expect me to believe that you didn't do anything!? Huh, I _knew_ scum like you couldn't be trusted. You never could." For some reason, Leo can't find his voice anymore. Takumi doesn't bother with him after that, and barges into the women's room to check on Sakura.

Alone in the hallway is where Leo stands with shallow breathing, muddled thoughts, and a heart that feels as if it's sinking into the pit of his stomach. Somehow this feeling is worse than anything he's ever felt in his dreams of war and devastation. His chest has never felt as hollow as it does now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: There was supposed to be a dream scene in this chapter, but I realized that writing out the entire wedding day was getting long and I didn't want this to be the only chapter that went on for 100 years. It's whatever though, reworking story lines after you plan it all out is fun. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, school started a week ago and I'm already tired of it. But I had a good labor day weekend so I was able to write this out.
> 
> Enjoy!

The princess still hasn't learned from their last encounter on the battlefield, and yet at the same time, she has.

There are tears in the corners of her eyes, yes, but Leo can see a fire in them. They are passionate – _determined._ They look right into his own darker, colder ones as she readies her bow and arrow. "I won't let you pass!" She speaks, her tone authoritative and firm, even though her fingers are jittery and her bottom lip quivers terribly. "The people of Hoshido are too p-precious to me!"

It's the love and compassion for her homeland that drives her to stand here before him; that motivates her to pick up arms against her brother. _His_ brother. With great accuracy, Sakura fires an arrow towards him. All of her pain, her anger and her sorrow charges it. And Leo blocks it, just as he blocks out her sorrow, her anger and her pain.

Instinctively, his hands reach for Brynhildr, and although the magic begins to tingle his fingertip and surges all throughout his divine tome, he can't find it in himself to strike her down. He clenches his fists, tucks Brynhildr underneath his arm, and steers his mount away from her. There are more pressing matters to tend to than to spend time on the Hoshidan princess, and like his other siblings, he'd like to get this war over with as soon as possible.

He remembers thinking how irritated she makes him when another arrow whizzes right past his ear. Firing at him while his back is turned? "How cowardly," he speaks, readying his tome once more. She looks frightened – intimidated by him even, but she still looks into his eyes with unwavering determination.

"I…I said that you will not pass," she reiterates. "I mean that."

His eyes narrow at her. It's a threat, but he isn't intimidated by her in the least. He wants to scoff at her. Does the Hoshidan princess truly think she can take him down? But the air of confidence that surrounds him dies in an instant. Of course she doesn't believe that she can win, but it doesn't stop her from trying to save the place she's always called home, and it doesn't stop her from trying to save the people she loves so dearly.

"Very well then," says Leo.

Though they stand opposite of the battlefield, he finds himself almost at awe at her willpower. Maybe if fate turned out a bit differently, they could have been great comrades; friends even. But thinking on that sentiment is rather useless, because it isn't the case, nor will it ever be.

The thought runs through his mind as she fires another arrow, and it sinks into the flesh of his shoulder. He thinks of how horribly she cried when Corrin picked himself over her as the divine tome ensnares her and knocks her down on her knees. The shrill crying of pain and defeat rings through his ears when he ultimately wins in battle.

Her body, which lies on the dirt floor and breathes heavily, is forever engrained in his mind when she mumbles to herself, "I failed... I guess I'm still just a p-powerless princess..."

She's far from it, but he doesn't feel the need to say it to her. He instead turns his back on her, eager to defeat the enemy commander and push forward to the throne room. But he can't help but think back on their encounter, even as Elise heals his wounds, and as more Nohrian troops come to their aid.

The Hoshidans are bound by their wrists and escorted to the prisons with their heads hung low in shame and defeat. Their weapons lie haphazardly on the ground. The Hoshidan princess' healing rod is just ways away from them. He watches as she walks past him, her droplets of tears decorate the ground where little blood is spilled.

Her cheek is scratched up, her fingers have blisters, and her wrists look to be bound a little too tightly. He can see her grit her teeth when Xander's authoritative voice gives orders to soldiers who guide their prisoners away from the battlefield and into holding cells that are used for those they call criminals.

The sound of metal ripping through flesh startles him out of his thoughts, and the bloodcurdling scream of a Hoshidan soldier causes the princess to lift her head. The soldier falls to his knees as his blood gives a vibrant, sickening color to the bland-looking ground. The princess gasps, her skin is a porcelain white. Her voice is hoarse and raw. "Please untie my hands!" She begs with all her heart. "I swear I won't try to escape! _Please,_ let me help them!"

But her pleas fall upon deaf ears. There is another sound of someone's body split open, and then another scream and cry for help. The tears fall freely down Sakura's face. A whimper and a sob escape her as she begs for Iago and Hans not to kill anymore of her countrymen.

And they're trying. Xander is trying hard to save her people. Corrin is trying his hardest too. For once, Leo listens to her pain, anger and sorrow, and the melody it produces is guilt riddling. This is wrong. This is all wrong. His father doesn't understand anything, he doesn't understand how much everyone's hurting – how much _she's_ hurting.

It's hard to ignore her crying now. She won't stop. The tears keep falling, her shoulders heave – someone tell her to stop before they _make_ her stop. Be _gentle_ with her – the ropes are digging into her skin. He can't look at her anymore, but all he can see is her tearstained face, a little bruised and terribly pale.

_Someone help._

"Sakura!" Leo cries out into total darkness. Sweat slides down his face and drips down from his chin, and stains his bedsheets. His fingers are trembling and his breathing is erratic. He runs a hand through his hair, and tries to piece together what just happened. Was that a dream? He felt everything.

The arrow that plunged into his shoulder, the feeling of irritation – he felt all of it. Then Leo gasps. "I… I _hurt_ her…" Was he some kind of monster? How could he do such a thing to her? But he'd never meant to do it. He never wanted to do that to her. But he even tried leaving but she's the one who called him back.

She even hurt him too. But this is different. She cried. He made her cry… just as he did at Xander's wedding. Their faces looked almost identical, save for the bruises he'd given her. There's no excuse for what he's done.

Leo practically watched as her heart, barely pieced together, ripped in two at the sight of her countrymen slain in cold blood. He was sure it ripped the same way a few months ago, when she'd run away from him, as did his own. Leo flops back onto his bed, unable to go back to sleep.

How can he when images of her sobbing face resurfaces as soon as he closes his eyes? Leo can't bear to look at her anymore, he just can't. Not with the knowledge that he's hurt her oh so horribly.

It's the only thing that replays in his mind the entire night.

* * *

Leo's return back to school is different. Elise isn't there to barge into his new apartment and help move his stuff in. She's had her own dorm room to move into and decorate with posters, framed pictures of kittens and puppies, and stuffed animals. He misses her exuberant energy – move in day doesn't feel the same without it.

When Garon is finished helping Leo move in, he leaves the unpacking to he and Camilla, who doesn't mind at all. She did seem a bit more chipper when helping Elise move in, but only because Leo never allows her to help decorate. He watches as she cleans the window in his bedroom with a raised brow.

"The window is practically sparkling Camilla," he says. "I don't think you need to clean it anymore."

She turns to face him with a frown on her lips. "Darling, how can you not see how dirty it is? Look at it," she says, and Leo obliges her. "Tell me it doesn't look streaky. I dare you."

It looks good enough to him, and Leo doesn't really look out his window to begin with so this is all pointless. Especially since the view of the nearby parking lot isn't the most breathtaking thing he's seen. However, there is something, or rather someone, there who takes his breath away. Leo isn't sure if being breathless is a good thing, because from the pit of his stomach, he loathes seeing her.

Her hair is a little longer since he's last seen her almost three months ago, and her smile is just as broad as it was back then, but Leo can tell that Sakura has lost some of her radiance. She and her eldest brother carry boxes across the parking lot back to wherever she's living this year, and although they seem to be having a good conversation, she looks tired.

Is she having those nightmares too?

He doesn't want to think about it. He doesn't even want to look at her, but his eyes follow her until she's out of his sight. Leo's heartbeat is irregular and his nails dig into the palms of his hands. Just seeing her reminds him of that godawful nightmare he had of her last month. It's so odd seeing her and being unable to call out to her and say hello all because the thought scares him a little.

"Was that her?" Camilla asks suddenly. "Sakura?" Her question throws him off guard so much that his nails cease digging into his hands and his eyes widen in shock. Has he been staring too long? His sister folds her arms underneath her chest. "She's very cute."

Leo says nothing, and steps away from the window to unpack some more of his clothes into his dresser. They never got the chance to talk about her after the wedding like Camilla wanted to. She pried, but Xander was the one who told her that Leo and Sakura had somewhat of a falling out. It could hardly be called a falling out, since the two of them never argued about anything, but whatever it was, it seems as though it's led to the end of their friendship.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asks, but he doesn't respond. "I'm here to listen if you need it."

"Has it occurred to you that maybe I haven't said anything to you because I _don't_ want to talk about it?" Leo snaps, and Camilla's hardened expression, mixed with hurt and annoyance, makes him regret his words. "Sorry, I didn't mean to lash out. I'd just… rather not talk about it… and about her."

"No, it's fine," says Camilla. "I shouldn't have pried. If anything I should be the one apologizing. But, if I can just say one thing, I hope the two of you do rekindle what you had. It'd be a shame to let that go."

Leo opens his mouth to say something, but immediately closes it. Whatever it was that he and Sakura had, with the book sharing, the Valentine's Day chocolates, and their linking of arms each time they walked side by side, it's all over now. Instead, those sweet memories are corrupted by her beautiful face stained with her own blood and tears, and the terrible sounds of her sobs.

"Yeah, I hope so too," Leo finally says. Those words are more to placate Camilla than himself, but there is a small, more whimsical part of him that wishes so badly to talk to her again. It's overtaken by his more cynical side, who wants to scoff at the thought. There's no way he can face her.

Not after the way he's hurt her.

* * *

Life has a funny way of working. The woman he wants to avoid so badly seems to show up everywhere. On his first day of classes, Sakura happened to stroll into one of them and the two of them made eye contact for all of two seconds before he looked away. And then, as if it hadn't been clear that she hated him now, she happened to sit on the opposite side of the classroom from him.

At the library, he tries his hardest not to look at her, but how is he supposed to keep tabs on her if he doesn't? She's looking for some sort of book, he presumes. The look of concentration and slight confusion on her face as she walks past the aisles of books says it all. She must've thought to ask for help at the front desk. She wouldn't have looked his way otherwise.

Sakura immediately turns away from him as soon as they see each other, and he can hear her ask someone else for help.

But the cherry on top is when the two of them see each other over the cobblestone bridge. His heartbeat quickens when he sees her on the other end of the bridge, yet he doesn't turn away. Neither does she. They don't look at each other, and keep their eyes straight forward. They're getting so close that he can easily reach for her hand, look into her eyes and ask where he went wrong. Where they went wrong.

Instead, Leo clenches his fists when the two of them walk right past each other. He stops for a moment to look back at her. Is she really going to walk past him and pretend like nothing happened? Not quite, because she looks back too; her eyes filled with anxiousness and just a hint of fear, if he's reading her correctly.

She looks just as wary of him the first time they met at this exact spot, and she does the same thing she did a year ago. She turns her head, walks away from him, and doesn't look back.

All of a sudden, he's frustrated. Why is she running away from him? What has he done wrong _this_ time? _She_ was the one who called out "Marx." _She_ was the one who ran away. So why is _he_ getting the silent treatment? It's because of those damned dreams, isn't it? He really did hurt her didn't he? Those bruises, those tears – they're all his fault. He didn't mean to do it. Leo's never once thought of laying a finger on Sakura. Ever.

But then why is she ignoring him? It's not as if he's actually hurt her in real life! It's not his fault, right? It shouldn't be, because he never intended on hurting her.

It doesn't matter if he never intended on it. It still happened, and it still affects her, just as it affects him. She has the right to run away from him, just like he has the right to yearn for her. All this longing makes him sick. He reminds himself that the bond the two of them shared is broken, and they're no more than two people who used to know each other.

Leo doesn't think that admitting it to himself would make him feel so hollow, and yet, it does. Would things have played out differently if Leo told her how remarkable he thinks she is, or if he told her how much she makes him smile. Maybe if he'd figured out how much he cared for her sooner, the two of them would be able to talk about all of this sooner.

Maybe they'd still be friends.

He wants to laugh at himself. All this over thinking and unwanted stress over a girl? Never in a million years did he think this would happen. The more he thinks about it, the more he realizes that Sakura isn't just a girl – she's someone Leo has grown to care about in a span of a year. But it doesn't matter anymore. None of this matters anymore. After his graduation in the spring, they'll never have to see each other again.

Leo accepts this – embraces it even.

This means that everyone around him has to accept this as well. Camilla doesn't mention her anymore when Leo chats with her. He instead listens to some of her gossip, just like he always has. Since Xander is a married man now, there's not much she can say about him. However, she does tip him off that he and his wife are thinking of having a baby.

Leo wonders if he's sure about having one so soon. Children are a handful. Doesn't he want to spend time with his wife for a year or so? He shrugs it off. Xander's always been a little impulsive anyway.

When he talks to Elise, she tells him about all the cool friends she's made on her campus and how different college is from high school. "It's like one big, never ending sleepover," she beams. Despite being happy, she does mention being a little homesick. Leo can relate. Freshman year is always weird.

Something she says makes Leo Skeptical however. "So, you find any _other_ cute girls to talk to?" It implies something that makes Leo positive that Camilla opened her mouth about something she wasn't supposed to.

" _Other_ cute girls?" Leo asks. "You make it sound like there was someone else."

He doesn't even need to see his sister's face to know how tense she is. "Wh-what? I'm not saying that there was another girl."

"But that's exactly what 'other' implies," says Leo.

"Uhhh…"

He sighs. "I don't know what exactly Camilla said to you, but can you do me a favor and drop it?"

Leo can practically hear her pouting as she mumbles a small apology. He forgives her. He appreciates that everyone wants to comfort him in their own way, but he doesn't need the pity. It's fine. _Leo_ is fine. Everyone just worries too much.

* * *

Over time, not being able to mention Sakura has become somewhat of an unspoken rule in Leo's apartment. It had gotten to the point where he'd ignore anyone who asked about her, and after withstanding the silent treatment for so long, his roommates just stopped asking about her.

These days, Leo seems different. A little harsher and a bit more moody, as Niles likes to put it. With all that Leo has been through the past few months, he could care less. It's this attitude that causes the two of them to butt heads more often. Usually, a few offhanded comments are thrown at each other, and the atmosphere in the room is awkward and just a little tense when it's all over in a minute or two.

Tonight is different.

From his bedroom, Leo can hear his roommates' incessant chatter ever so clearly. He ignores it for the most part, that is until Laslow mentions Sakura's name. It's bad enough Leo has to be with her in the same room once a week for classes, but he has to hear about her here too? And despite not wanting anything to do with her, Leo doesn't put on headphones to block Laslow's words out. He listens to him.

"I thought this apartment was anti-Sakura," says Odin.

Laslow scoffs. "Leo is at work isn't he? No harm done if he isn't here to listen to it."

"Okay, so what about her?" Asks Niles casually. "Did you ask her out instead? Wine 'n dine her and take her back here?"

His words make Leo so angry. Because yes, Sakura, who's been wary of Laslow since last year, would come back to their apartment and spend time with him between his sheets. Of all the ridiculous things he's ever heard, this takes the cake. And through this rage, Leo's mind isn't clear enough to see that Niles is being Niles – as he always is.

"You and I both know that didn't happen," says Laslow. "Actually, I wasn't sure if I mentioned that we have class together."

This is the first Leo's heard about this, and he's surprised to know that Laslow never mentioned it in the beginning of the semester where the three of them still talked about her freely. It seems Niles and Odin are in the same boat as Leo, because the two of them are genuinely surprised as well, and urge Laslow to continue.

"Okay, so this is a history class we have together, and we have presentations due a little later in the semester in pairs of two. And guess who I got paired up with?" Laslow asks. Leo can practically hear him grinning.

Odin makes an, "Ohhhhh" sound while Niles lets out a chuckle and waits for Laslow to speak. "I didn't think we'd get much of anything done since she's so shy, but when she did open up to me, I was surprised. She has such good ideas and is open to all of my ideas but –"

 _She second guesses herself a lot when she really doesn't need to,_ Leo finishes Laslow's sentence word for word in his mind. For some reason, there's a small twinge of jealousy in him. He used to be the only one who knew how brilliant Sakura was, and how badly she'd been wrapped up in her insecurities.

Now Laslow is the one who'll get to see how bright and bubbly she is. He'll be the one who gets listen to her speak for hours if he wants to. And why wouldn't he? She's honestly –

"– amazing!" Says Laslow, who unknowingly finishes Leo's thought. "Hah, I can see why Leo took interest in her."

"Took?" Asks Odin. "You mean like in past tense?"

"Well yeah," he says. "I don't think they talk anymore, so whatever it was is over."

"You mean like some kind of fling or something?" Odin asks.

 _It was anything but a fling!_ Leo wants to shout, but he restrains himself. They're all starting to piss him off at this point, talking as if the know anything about his situation.

"Maybe? I'm not too sure," says Laslow. "I can't tell who broke what off though… I thought it was her because Leo seems so… different lately, but when I mentioned his name in passing, she looked kind of strange – all jittery and whatnot. Then soon after, she said she had to go." Leo winces. He can't listen to this anymore. Just the thought of her trembling at the sound of his name is enough to make his stomach ache.

Finally, he swings his door open and steps out, startling his roommates in the process. He takes one good look at the three of them, and they all stare back. Odin is the first to speak. "…I thought you were at the library," he says.

Leo shuts his door. "Someone else needed the hours."

"So then where are you going?" Asks Niles.

"Out."

"Leo!" Laslow calls out. "I'm sorry about… bringing _her_ up. I know you don't like to talk about it, and I'd never do anything like that on purpose. And I wouldn't have said anything if I knew you were here."

Leo's eyes narrow at him. "You're bringing her up again by apologizing. Seriously, let it go."

"Wow, I never think you'd sink this low, but here we are," says Niles with a terrible smirk across his lips. "So because of your relationship troubles, we're not allowed to have a conversation? Come the fuck _on_ , Leo."

Odin quickly places a hand on Niles' shoulder and tells him to cool it, but Niles shrugs it off with ease. Leo glowers at Niles. He isn't worth the time or effort right now, but man, does he need to get all this pent up anger out of him. "Watch your mouth when you speak to me. I don't ask you guys for much but holy shit, is it that hard not to do the one thing you know that I don't like? It is _not_ complicated."

Niles lets out a dry laugh. "What? Are you kidding me? You're joking, right? You have to be. We didn't know you were here, what the hell? You've been acting like this ever since we got back to school and it's starting to annoy me. We can't mention her whether we're in your presence or not? You know what? Go on Laslow. What were you saying about Sakura now?"

"Niles, come on now," says Laslow. "Isn't this this a little harsh? I don't think I should…"

"I actually don't care," Niles says. "It's Leo's fault for eavesdropping in the first place."

Leo scoffs. "Yeah, okay Niles. I'm leaving." He doesn't have to put up with Niles' crap. He shouldn't have to. Just as he's about to step out, Niles opens his mouth again.

"So you still didn't tell me about her, Laslow. She's really sweet and nice right?" He asks. "Where do you two work on that project? Is she nice enough to let you into her room then? Because who wants to work here in this depressing shit hole?"

"Niles, chill out!" Odin cries.

"I mean, she's obviously scared of Leo, so it doesn't make sense to bring her here," he says as he completely ignores Odin. "But you? You're a little gentler with ladies, aren't you? Yeah, you probably sweet talked your way into her room and into her pants too. Don't hold out on us, Laslow."

"Niles, please. Leo –"

"Huh? What about Leo? Am I hurting his feelings?" He scoffs. "Well Leo can build a bridge and _get over it!_ "

It was as if any form of logic and reasoning flew out of Leo's head the moment his hands clamped around his best friend's neck. The words, "Don't you ever fucking talk about her like that," escape him as Laslow and Odin attempt to pry the two of them off of each other. The entire time, Niles' blue eyes look directly into Leo's rage filled brown ones. It's almost scary how he can't read them, and his grip on Niles loosens long enough for Laslow and Odin to pull them apart.

When the two of them are on opposite sides of the room, Leo continues to lash out. "None of you have a damn clue! None! You all just gossip and assume, like you all know everything!"

"As screwed up as it was for him to do that, did you ever stop to think that Niles has a point?" Cries Odin.

"A point about _what?_ "

"We're your friends, aren't we? But you never tell us anything," Laslow says. "And of course, we got that you were upset about something and gave you your space but… we want to help you when you're not at your best. And you won't let us.

Moody, irritable, excessively tired… They're all things his friends have noticed about him lately. They ask if it all because of Sakura. When he's silent, they tell him that they only want to help. This feeling is familiar to him. Right, he felt the same way on Xander's wedding night. He only wanted to help her, to see what was wrong. She wouldn't let him.

It's a cycle, isn't it? He wants to break it. They ask again, as serious as possible, and Leo lets out a small sigh. "Can I… start from the beginning please? It'll be easier that way."

It's difficult, but he does it. From the dream of meeting Sakura on the battlefield and the atrocities of the war to Sakura's slip up at the wedding and his most recent dream of her over the summer, his roommates know everything now. Who would have thought relaying it to them would feel like reliving the experience? It truly is painful.

Niles is the one who rests a comforting hand on Leo's shoulder. "Thanks for telling us." The first thing he's said since Leo attacked him, and he still feels bad about it. He doesn't have to say anything because Niles has already forgiven him before he's even apologized.

"No, I should be thanking you for listening… and not being judgmental," he says.

"We wanted to listen," says Odin. "And we'd never judge you."

Leo's smile is weak. "Again, thank you. It's nice to get this off my chest but… I feel like I screwed this all up. She really never wants to see my face again."

"That's not true," Laslow cuts in. "I think she cares about you. When I mentioned your name, she looked uncomfortable. But then she looked at me and asked, 'how is Leo doing?' I didn't know what to say, so I told her you were okay. And then she told me she had to go. She wouldn't have asked if she didn't care."

This is true. Sakura isn't the type of person to ask something about someone she doesn't care for. But if she cares so much, then why does she ignore him? It doesn't make any sense.

"I think you should talk to her," Odin says. "I mean, this whole thing is way too freaky to just leave on its own."

"I don't think I should just walk up to her though," Leo ponders aloud. "I don't want it to seem like I'm cornering her or anything." He wants to come off as nonthreatening as possible.

Niles starts to look as if he's thought of the best idea ever. "If that's the case, then just shoot her a text message. She can respond whenever she wants. If she never does, then you've gotta see her in person." It's still hard to face her with the thought of his most recent dream looming over his head. But if it means bettering things between he and Sakura, he'll gladly confront those dreams.

In bed, he stares at his phone screen that illuminates a section of his room. He doesn't want to just say "hello, how are you"… it feels wrong. Instead he asks:

_Have you ever dreamed of being a princess for the kingdom of Hoshido?_

It's straight to the point, and all she has to do is give him a one word answer. With that, Leo rests his phone on his night table and closes his eyes.

 _Please talk to me Sakura,_ he thinks. _I want us to be normal again._


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was so excited to write this chapter, you have no idea. And I hope you all are just excited to read it!
> 
> Enjoy!

Leo watches as his sister idly plays with her healing staff, her brow is furrowed in thought. Her eyes are still trained on the direction that Princess Sakura and her countrymen had been imprisoned. He can feel a sense of pity from her, and maybe a hint of guilt. Elise is always one to show compassion for her enemies – a truly admirable trait.

Though if he's honest with himself, Leo can't deny the fact that he too felt a little bad for the Hoshidan Princess. Still, he pushes his own feelings aside and stands at his sister's side. "Is there something troubling you?"

Elise is startled by his sudden appearance. "Leon! Uh…" Her voice trails off, as if she's unsure of what to say to him. "I'm fine… but I feel really bad for Princess Sakura. She really wanted to help everyone, but Iago and Hans got in the way of that – those jerks."

The memory of her desperate pleas resurface, as does the faint feeling guilt in his heart. "And I take it that's why you've been staring off into space?" Leo asks.

"Yeah… I was just thinking about how sad I'd be if I couldn't heal someone who was hurting right in front of me. I'd feel useless," says Elise. "So I thought I should do something nice for her. Something that'll make her feel a little better."

The corners of Leo's lips curve upwards slightly. "That's very kind of you, Elise."

She giggles. "Thanks! But I dunno what to do… Any ideas?"

Leo taps his chin in thought. "Well, we're not sure how long she'll be kept there, or how long until we end the war. Maybe you could bring her something to eat, or a blanket to help keep her warm. I'm sure she'd appreciate it."

Elise's eyes practically twinkle in delight. "Leon, you're a genius! I didn't even think of that!" Eyes that once sparkled now look at him in confusion after he points out his blanket folded neatly atop his belongings. "Wait you want me to take your blanket?"

He shrugs. "I mean, it's right there after all."

"Thanks, but no thanks," Elise says. "Yours is all dark and boring. I'm gonna give her mine because it's cute and pink – just like her hair!"

Although he doesn't really know her, Leo highly doubts that the Hoshidan princess is so self-absorbed that she'd prefer Elise's blanket because it's the same color as her hair. Still, he doesn't argue with her, and tells her that is she's going to the prisons, then she needs to go quickly before Hans or Iago find her.

Leo does make note that after Elise leaves, his blanket is not among his belongings anymore. Knowing Elise, she's probably taken it to prove to him that Princess Sakura will most definitely pick her blanket over his own. When she returns, she looks almost defeated. He takes that it didn't go well.

Her heavy sighing says it all, before she mopes about how the princess wouldn't eat anything she gave her, and silently refused to use any of the blankets Elise brought her. "And I was so sure she'd pick mine too…" There's no time to cheer her up, as Corrin tells them that they are to travel to the Great Wall of Suzanoh to conquer the enemy's core legion.

There's a hitch in his brother's voice when he tells them who the enemy commander is, and Leo refrains giving a small sigh. Of course it's Prince Takumi leading the troops at the wall, because between he and Princess Sakura, Corrin can't really seem to catch a break. There are no words of comfort that Leo can give to Corrin, however.

He keeps silent instead, and does his part to help seize the Great Wall. The battle is bloody and gruesome; everything he's come to expect from war. The bodies of Hoshidan soldiers litter the grassland and the wall itself. Some of them lie deathly still. Leo pays them no mind – their goal is to keep moving forward.

The dying words of Prince Takumi's retainers ring in his ears so clearly, but there's no time to feel any remorse until it's all over. He reminds Corrin of this as he looks almost hesitant to continue to push forward. It must be difficult to battle your own flesh and blood, but is has to be done. They've come too far to throw this all away now.

It's slightly infuriating when the Hoshidan prince refuses to admit defeat, as all of his men are either severely wounded or dead. He lashes out, and wishes the worst on his older brother. Leo scoffs. "My, what a rude fellow. You should be grateful we are allowing you to live."

For once, Prince Takumi doesn't have a rebuttal. He also doesn't look in Leo's direction.

Charming as always. "You may be our prisoner, but we will not treat you cruelly," Leo continues. "If you behave, we may even let you see your sister, Princess Sakura."

At the sound of her name, Takumi finally turns his head towards Leo. Amber eyes glower at him, and yet at the same time, the prince looks as if he's going to be sick. "What!? You've captured Sakura too?" He asks in total disbelief. "You monsters!"

It's the harshest Leo's ever heard him speak, and it's the most desperate Leo's ever heard him as well. With his sister captured, and his army defeated, there's nowhere left for Takumi to run. It's over, but the Hoshidan prince still manages to slip away from them. To watch him drop like a weight makes Leo gasp in shock. His brother's desperate cries aren't helping to ease is heavy conscience.

He doesn't get to hear the disgusting thud of Takumi's body hitting the ground when his eyes shoot open, and his body is practically drenched in sweat. He slaps his hands onto his face and let out a groan. What's wrong with him? Why did he have to say that to him? Why'd he have to go mentioning her name?

Takumi's face looked almost exactly as it did at the wedding back in June. The eeriness of it all sends a shiver down Leo's spine. After a few deep breaths, Leo reaches for his cellphone. What time is it, anyway? The brightness on his phone blinds him temporarily, but when his eyes finally adjust, the current time is the least of his concerns right now.

It's been an entire week since he's sent Sakura that text message, and she's just gotten back to him. His heart races as he puts in the 4-digit pin into his phone, and Leo doesn't waste time opening her message. Though, it's not what he was expecting in the least.

I've never had a dream about that before, is her reply.

Is she serious…? It can't be a coincidence that she called his brother by the wrong name, could it? Leo sits up in bed, runs a hand through his blond tresses before he asks: Can we talk? Please?

The clock reads 3:17 a.m. when his phone begins to vibrate continuously. The picture of her bright smile pops up, and Leo stares at it for a moment before he picks up her call. "H-hello?" She says quietly on the other line. It's refreshing to hear her voice again. She never speaks up in class, so hearing it again after so long makes him happy.

He responds with a "Hey," just as quiet before they fall into silence. Leo knows what he wants to talk about, but he isn't sure how to get there. To his surprise, Sakura is the first to speak.

"Are you… still mad at me?" She asks.

Leo's brow furrows in confusion. "When was I ever mad at you?"

"B-because I…" Her voice trails off before he hears her breathe a shaky breath. "I… a-at the party, I… ran away w-without ever talking to you… a-and then you'd sometimes l-look away from me when we saw each other… s-so…"

"I wasn't mad," Leo says. "Hurt, but never mad. I just… always feel like I'm in the wrong for some reason, and I never know why. So… did I do something wrong?"

Sakura is silent for a moment. "It… It isn't your fault. Or rather, it w-wasn't your fault."

"…Is there a difference?"

"Yes."

She's so cryptic. "In reference to what, Sakura?" He's trying to be as gentle with her as possible, but he's so anxious to figure out what's going on.

"W-well, you asked me i-if I ever dreamt of being a princess of Hoshido… wh-why?"

"Because how did you know the name I refer to my brother in my own dreams?" He asks a little louder than he would've liked.

"I… w-wait, you don't remember anything either?"

Remember what? Is there something obvious he's missing here? "What am I supposed to be remembering?"

"Hoshido, Nohr… th-the war… I-it isn't some fairytale. It was all real."

Leo wants to laugh and tell her to get serious, but Sakura doesn't sound like she's joking at all. If he confronted her about this sometime last year, he's positive that he wouldn't have believed her. But now, with his knowledge of how realistic these dreams have been, and the fact that he's never able to control his actions, Leo's starting to think that this is the answer he's been looking for this whole time.

And the feelings of guilt, anxiety and pain hit him harder than ever. "So I… at Fort Jinya, did I really…?"

"I-it's not your fault–"

"That's why you were so scared of me…"

"Leo, i-it's okay. I–"

"What part of this is okay, Sakura?" He snaps, and she falls silent. "I mean, I obviously hurt you so much that you wanted nothing to do with me when we first met, and I just kept pushing myself onto you. Why didn't you just tell me to leave you alone or something, instead of having to go through all that?"

She's still silent on the other end, save for her light breathing. Leo patiently awaits her response. "I… I thought…" she croaks, and he wonders if he's make her cry. "I didn't know that you didn't r-remember anything… th-the way you looked at me, I thought you knew and we were g-going to go our separate ways but… you started talking to me and… I thought that m-maybe you wanted to start over… a-and that you were being nice.

"W-when I saw your brother, e-everything just sort of hit me… a-and I got scared. I panicked, a-and I slipped up. I was so embarrassed… And when you reached for me, I remembered the tome and how your arm reached out towards m-me back then and I… I'm so sorry," she whimpers. "I… I should be over something that happened ages ago. A-and in another life no less, b-but I…"

Her sniffling on the other end of the line makes him feel horrible. He really did hurt her, as did the war. The slaying of her countrymen, the death of her older brother, even her time in prison – he hadn't meant to make her re-live all of that. "Don't apologize. None of this is your fault. It's alright to admit that you're still hurting, so don't push yourself, okay?" He says soothingly, and her crying steadily comes to a stop. "Can I ask you something…?"

"O-of course," she says quietly.

"When you said, 'you don't remember anything either,' who were you referring to?"

There's the sound of shifting and a creaky bed on her end before she starts to speak. "U-um, Takumi used to be like you… He'd dream about the war too. B-but, he doesn't have them anymore. I originally thought you were asking be-because it happened to one of your siblings…" She sighs. "I should have put it together that it was you, since you wanted to tell me about a dream you had back at the party…"

Takumi had dreams like this too? So he must've known about what happened at the Great Wall. As if Leo couldn't feel any worse about the situation. "God, no wonder he hates my guts."

"H-he doesn't hate you!" Sakura cuts in hastily. "He doesn't… I… I explained everything much later. A-and then he told me about what happened… o-on the Great Wall…"

"Yeah, I uh, just dreamt about it," Leo says as he scratches the back of his neck. "It was awful… and I'm really sorry about it all."

"Leo," Sakura starts. "I… I've forgiven you, okay? I don't want this to make us drift apart more than it already has."

Although he feels the same way, there's still something that feels off about this whole thing. Something that bothers him terribly. "Sakura… Can you tell me what else happens in the war?"

"I… I think it's best that you let the dreams run its course."

She's hiding something from him, he can tell. He doesn't push it. "Okay then. Can you at least tell me why I don't remember anything, or why I'm dreaming about it all?"

Sakura hums in thought for a while. "I… don't know, to be honest. I never knew you could dream about those things in such detail until Takumi told me about his own recently. I thought you either remembered, or you didn't, a-and that I was the only one in my family who did."

Leo asks if Takumi remembered everything after his dreams stopped for good. If so, maybe the same thing will happen to him. Sakura says that she isn't sure. "He hasn't told me if they all came back… o-only that he's dreamt of the war."

"I see," says Leo. Although he's glad to have come to some type of explanation about his bizarre dreams, it only begets more questions that desperately need to be answered. Why is it that he doesn't remember, but she does? Is it just by chance? What made those dreams occur recently as opposed to ten years ago?

Sakura's attempt to stifle her yawn draws him out of his musings. "Oh, right. You must be tired. It's pretty late after all."

"Um, a-a little, actually," she says. "Uh, m-maybe we can talk tomorrow?"

Leo begins to smile – the first one all night. "I'd like that. And Sakura?"

"Yes?"

"I… really did miss you these past few months."

He can hear her inhale sharply on the other end before she says, "I missed you too."

With that, the two of them say their goodbyes and promptly hang up. As much as he wants to go to bed, the mixed feelings he has about his dreams keep his mind entertained with theories and questions. Someone has to have some of the answers he's looking for. A certain face suddenly comes to mind, and Leo thinks he should start there.

* * *

Leo won't be of drinking age until next year, but it doesn't stop him from asking Xander for a glass of wine after he asks Leo what he wants to drink and only suggests juice or water. A notable smirk appears on Leo's face when his brother sits the wine glass in front of him.

"Say when," Xander says as he begins to pour wine into Leo's glass. There's a long silence between them as Leo watches red liquid fill the glass before him before Xander stops, and Leo can see the smirk he dons. "If you want alcohol poisoning, you can do that back at school, thank you very much."

He scoffs. "I know my limit Xander, thanks." Leo takes a sip from his glass as he takes in the décor in the home. Damask patterned wallpaper hold pictures of their families, and a couple of Xander's wedding photos. Mahogany end tables display flower arrangements and various business cards. His wife must've been the one doing all the decorating, because Leo knows Xander doesn't have an eye for that sort of thing.

Xander, who pours his own glass, steals a quick glance in Leo's direction before he sets the wine bottle down. "So, I can assume you didn't come all the way here just to finish all my bottles of alcohol, right?"

Leo shakes his head. "I actually needed to talk to you, and I felt doing this in person would be more effective."

"And what do you need to talk to me about?" Xander asks.

Leo bites down on his bottom lip momentarily. "You… remember Sakura, right?"

His brother looks a little surprised by all of this, but quickly regains his composure. "Ah, your… friend, right? I hope that night at the wedding didn't ruin things between the two of you. Camilla told me about how upset you were over it."

"I'm… not surprised that she said something to you," says Leo. "But, that's not the point. Have the two of you met before? You and Sakura?"

"…Not under normal circumstances," he says quietly. "And not formally."

He knew it. By the way the two of them looked at each other back then, Leo was sure that there was some kind of connection between them. "I thought so."

"What did she say to you?"

"Not much that I didn't already know," he answers plainly. "Although she did tell me that the war between Nohr and Hoshido was actually real."

Xander sets his wine glass on the table, and looks at Leo in astonishment. "You knew about that?"

"I think that's my line."

"Why didn't you tell me that you knew?"

Leo sighs. "I didn't think it was worth mentioning at the time because I thought they were all just silly dreams."

"You had dreams about them?" Asks Xander. "Okay, wait. Please explain everything to me."

And he does, making sure not to leave out any key details. It's harder relaying the story the second time, now that he knows the truth about his dreams, but he bears it. When he's finished, Xander processes everything he's said while rubbing his chin.

"I see," says Xander quietly. "I wish you would have come to me first so that we could've talked about it."

Leo's eyes narrow. "And why couldn't you have come to me instead?"

"I didn't think anyone remembered, and you all would have thought I was mad if I went around trying to remind you of something that sounded as if it came out of a story book," Xander says. "So, I never said a word. I thought I should at least explain what happened at the wedding, but I didn't think you'd believe me if I said, 'Marx is who I was in a past life.'"

Well, Leo would have, but Xander is going off the assumption that Leo never had these dreams in the first place, so he doesn't hold it against him. "I've been having these dreams for almost two years now, so if you planned on saying anything before then, then no, I wouldn't have believed you." He seems to be in the same position as Sakura – remembering the past so vividly while having no one to talk to about it. It must be painful.

"Almost two years?" Xander parrots. "Did you really dream of the war for so long?"

"No, before the war," says Leo. "The dreams were about life back at the castle, and they happened very infrequently. They started coming more often about a year ago, around the time Corrin… sided with us." It feels so weird uttering his name aloud. He's never done that before today. Is it even okay for him to call Corrin a brother in this life, even though they've never met? Even though they aren't actually blood related?

Leo takes another sip of wine. At this point, he really needs it.

"Well, this isn't unheard of. I've met a few people here and there who've served in the Nohrian army and relayed to others about having dreams of their time in the war," says Xander. "I've been trying to figure out what causes them to come about. Maybe keywords or phrases trigger your memories, and they come to you as dreams. Who knows? I could possibly say the name 'Corrin' to Camilla or Elise, and they'd receive their memories in the form of dreams as well."

Leo wonders what the keyword was for his dreams. "Is this something that you've been studying for a long time, Xander?"

"Yes, I have for years now," he answers. "What about your friends? Do they not remember a thing about it either?"

Just as Leo is about to answer, he remembers that Laslow was the one who served Xander faithfully. Now, the two of them are practically strangers who only know of each other through Leo. Being unable to befriend your good friend in another life? Talk about harsh. He doesn't know how he'd feel if their situations were reversed. "No, they don't remember anything. Not even when I told them about it."

Xander looks a bit defeated. He must really miss Laslow's company. "Hmm, maybe the word or phrase has to be something that was of importance to them back then. In any case, it's just your luck to find someone that does remember it all, and someone of the royal family no less," He pauses. "…Is it really as Camilla says?"

Leo grimaces. "And what did Camilla say?"

"Relax, Leo. You know Camilla always has good intentions," Xander says. "She told me that she thinks you're trying to get Sakura to date you. And that it was all ruined after the wedding."

"…Is it a problem if I was?" He asks.

"Not at all. I just didn't think she'd give you the time of day after… everything that's happened."

To be truthful, that was probably Sakura's plan to begin with. It's just that Leo just wouldn't ease up and Sakura is too nice of a person to say no. But Xander doesn't have to know that. "She's a very forgiving person."

"You never answered my question though,"Xander says after another sip of wine. "Is Camilla right?"

Leo shrugs. It's not as if he's actively trying to do so. And to be honest, he hasn't had time to think about a relationship with her when the two of them stopped talking back in June. "I don't think I have an answer for you."

"Fair enough," Xander smiles. It doesn't linger for long however. "If I may ask, what did Sakura say to you about your dreams?"

"…She wouldn't say much. She actually told me that I should just let them run its course, but I can't shake the feeling that she's hiding something from me." Leo sighs while running his fingers through his hair. "Can you fill me in on what's going on?"

Xander's whole demeanor seems to change in that moment. He seems guarded, and Leo can read the pain and guilt in his eyes. "I… I think I agree with Sakura on this one."

"Excuse me?" Leo says in bewilderment. Now Xander is hiding something from him too? What's going on here?

"Leo, I really think it's best if you just let it happen naturally."

"Nothing about this is natural!" Leo argues. "What, does something happen to you? Or Camilla? Or Elise?"

"We're fine, just–"

"Does something happen to me?"

"Stop, please–"

"Is… is Sakura okay?"

"Leo!" Xander cries, effectively quieting down his younger brother. "When the time comes, I will explain everything you need me to, and I will answer any question to the best of my abilities, but right now, you have to let it go."

The only thing he can do is nod his head. If Xander is so unwilling to tell him, maybe things do turn out for the worse. Sakura, who always puts others feelings before her own, would never tell him if something terrible happened to her, and he's sure that the only reason his brother won't say a word is out of pity. He wants to argue back, but finds himself asking,

"…Do you promise to explain everything?"

"I swear," Xander tells him.

Although it doesn't quell the terrible feeling in his stomach, Leo takes his brother's word for it.

* * *

As the professor drones on about last week's reading assignment, Leo can't help but steal glances at Sakura from across the classroom. After their late night phone call a few weeks ago, they send text messages to one another frequently, but it feels awkward talking in person. They never know what to say or how to act around each other.

He's just glad that the two of them are at least making some sort of progress. It's better than not talking to each other, after all.

Despite this, Leo wants something more than just text messaging back and forth; something like the bond they shared before his dreams became nightmares. At the same time, he knows how vulnerable Sakura has been lately, and he definitely doesn't want to become overbearing.

Leo lets out a small sigh. He declares that he's much too impatient for all of this. Briefly, Leo wonders if Sakura wants to try talking to him too, just like they used to. Of course he wants to believe that she wants to, but Leo has been second-guessing himself and overthinking more than usual.

There's the thought of, "She's only trying because she doesn't want to hurt my feelings while she ignores her own" and "She's waiting for her chance to tell me that she doesn't think this will work anymore." As much as Leo knows it isn't true, and that Sakura's missed his presence just as he missed hers, the self-doubt constantly lingers.

He looks over in her direction as her attention is on the professor. She sometimes looks away to jot down a couple notes. The moment she catches him staring, he tenses up. Sakura gives him a small smile, then a wave. Leo is at a loss for what to do at the moment, and just as he's pulled himself together to do something, she's already turned her attention back to the front of the classroom.

Leo sighs. There's another thing he's been thinking about lately – about what Xander asked him when he went for a visit. If he's trying to date Sakura. Anytime anyone asked, the answer was always, "It's not like that" or "I don't know." Hell, he'd probably still give someone that kind of answer if they asked.

But if he's going to be honest with himself, Leo knows that if Sakura announced that she had a boyfriend, he'd become terribly jealous. With the way she's been on his mind so often, Leo knows that it's unwise to sit on his feelings idly. As much as he hates to admit it, Camilla was right the entire time. He's really got it bad for her, and he'd be a fool if he didn't at least admit it to himself.

When the professor announces that class is over, Leo shoulders his backpack and heads out into the hallway. Instead of walking back to his apartment, he waits for her patiently, eying all of the students that filter out of the classroom. Sakura is one of last people to leave, and she looks thoroughly surprised when she catches sight of him.

With an outstretched hand and a smile, Leo asks, "Are you ready to go?"

Sakura's eyes drift from his face to his hand before she accepts it. Her fingers fill the spaces between his own, and Leo gives her hand a gentle squeeze as they head out of the building. She lets out a small giggle, one Leo hasn't realized he's missed so much until she's done it, and asks, "What's so funny?"

"O-oh? Um, I was just thinking…" she begins. Her cheeks are slightly red. "It's… been a while since we've been this close."

"I know," says Leo. "A shame, really."

She looks away from him, but he doesn't fail to notice the small smile that graces her lips. She must be feeling shy. "Um, d-do you really think so?"

"What?" Leo lets out a chuckle. "Of course I do. I wouldn't be holding your hand right now if I didn't. What about you?"

"M-me?" She stammers. "I… uh, m-my heart is beating really fast right now, i-if that's an appropriate answer."

"Is that a good thing?" Leo asks.

She nods. "I-I think it is, yes."

Leo can't help but smile at her. Her feelings must be mutual – they have to be. There's a comfortable silence between the two of them before Sakura asks, "You… you're really not mad at me anymore?"

Oh, how he wishes she'd stop doubting him. At the same time, he isn't one to talk. He's been doing the same thing. "Sakura, I was never mad at you. I'm okay now, really."

"R-right… I'm sorry I keep asking…"

"You don't have to keep apologizing. It's okay," Leo pauses briefly. "…And you?"

"A-and me?" She parrots.

"Do you… honestly forgive me?"

Sakura looks shocked. "I-it isn't like you to be so doubtful… Y-you're usually so confident."

He sighs. "I know but… I hurt you so badly, and I–" The gentle squeezing of his left hand throws him off guard, and she he looks at her comforting smile, he feels a little more at ease.

"I've already forgiven you," she says. "I… I know that you only did what was asked of you, s-so please, don't be so harsh on yourself. A-and besides… I could have left you alone when you turned your back on me, but I didn't. You don't have a thing to be sorry for."

No, she couldn't have left him alone when he turned his back on her. The point was to stop the Nohrian army from storming the castle, not to run away and hide. He stops walking, and in turn, Sakura stops and turns to face him. They stand face to face atop the cobblestone bridge as autumn leaves flutter from the treetops and into the river below them. 

There’s a sense of déjà vu. They’ve done something like this before, looking into each other’s eyes in such proximity of each other, and on this same exact spot on this bridge. Though, Leo feels that the last time they stood at this exact same spot, he was happy. That isn’t the case this time. “You and I both know that isn’t true, Sakura,” says Leo. “If you just let me walk away, what good would that have done?”

She tries to argue back, but he doesn't give her the chance. "You're the most kindhearted person I know, Sakura, but please don't say things like that just to make me feel better. You were only trying to protect your country. I would have done the same if I were in your shoes."

"But… b-but I just wanted you to know that it wasn't your fault…" She mumbles, looking down at her feet.

It isn't until Leo places his hands on her shoulders that she's able to look into his eyes. "I know, and I understand that now. But I don't want you to convince me that I wasn't at fault by saying, 'maybe if I did something different.' Nothing you could have done would've changed anything, so please don't shift the blame on yourself by saying that it was something you did or didn't do. Alright?"

"O-okay, I promise. I won't do it again."

The smile on his face returns and Leo removes his hands from her shoulders. "You better."

Sakura's lips curve into a smile before she lets out a laugh and takes his hand into her own. This was the normalcy he'd been craving. Her bubbly laughter and warm smiles are just a few of the many things he's missed about her. The ugliness of the war still looms over his head, but with Sakura by his side, Leo is ready to face each and every detail his memories have to offer.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm almost done with this story, since the next chapter will be the last, and it feels bittersweet. Oh yeah, and I also wanted to say that I made an announcement on Tumblr about LeoSaku Week happening in December, and I saw some familiar names like that post. Why aren't you all talking to me?
> 
> scalding-coffee-cup
> 
> Say hello!
> 
> Anyway, enjoy.

 

Leo likes to think that everything started with a surprisingly cheeky comment that slipped from Sakura's lips.

During a study session in her bedroom, she offered that the two of them take a break and watch a movie together, despite not knowing what movie they should watch. Playfully, Leo decided to tease her as she flipped through potential movies they could watch. "Oh? Didn't get that far in your plan to get me so close to you?"

Sakura stopped her search to look at him with wide eyes, surprised he'd even say something like that to her. He waited for her to shake her head vigorously and deny the accusation, but it never came. Instead, her eyes return to normal, and she smiled at him before turning back to the television screen. "I guess I'm n-not as crafty as y-you are, Leo."

He remembers how badly she caught him off-guard with that witty retort, but not so badly that he couldn't bounce right back. In an instant, his arms found themselves around her waist as he buried his face into the crook of her neck. "No," he told her, "I guess you're not."

Since then, the two of them have abandoned studying all together, and spend their time wrapped in each other's arms with a movie or television show playing in front of them. Right now, as the two of them lay face to face without the television's background noise, Leo feels nervous for some reason.

He hasn't formally told Sakura his feelings for her yet. He's dropped a couple of hints before their relationship turned out this way, but she's been surprisingly oblivious. That, or she knows how he feels, and she's not ready to answer the question he's never asked. Leo reaches out to remove a stray hair from Sakura's face. His hand lingers as the side of her face as he fixes his mouth to say something to her, but nothing comes out.

She's really left him speechless.

Sakura places her hand on top of the one that caresses her cheek, and lets out a tiny laugh that fills him with warmth. "I'm r-really glad that I'm n-not the only one who's feeling shy," she tells him as her hand gently squeezes his own.

Leo's brow furrows. "It's not that I'm shy, I just… don't have the right words to express myself right now."

"What do you mean?" she asks.

He licks his lips in contemplation before answering, "I don't know. There's this sort of… peace I feel when I'm around you. Lately, everything with my dreams has really been weighing me down." The dreams decide to happen upon him at any time during the day as well as during the middle of the night. For whatever reason, he's been feeling drowsier than normal lately, and the espresso shots he's taken over the past few weeks don't do much to improve his sleepy state.

If anything, it feels like they've worsened it. "They're depressing and I feel like they drain me of all my energy but… having you here makes things a little less bleak. So thanks for sticking with me even if I am 'a little rough around the edges.'"

Sakura silently gazes into his eyes for a while before she giggles. "I remember saying that it was… e-endearing."

A low, breathy laugh escapes him, and he pulls Sakura closer to him so that she rests comfortably against his chest. "Yeah, I remember that too. It made me feel good."

The two of them fall into silence afterwards, and Leo, who's been having trouble keeping his eyes open for the past two minutes, finally closes them. How could he not doze off under fluffy blankets as he held Sakura in his arms? When his eyes reopened, however, Sakura was gone, and his arms held close Brynhildr instead.

That feeling of tranquility vanishes as one of anxiousness quickly takes its place. It's as if it's always been there, eating away at him. His siblings are all here, and it should have been enough to make him happy, but he can't when his brother accuses the only man he's ever known as a father of being a monster.

As much as he holds Corrin in such high regard, he can't help but feel skeptical. If Garon was a monster as he claimed, why didn't he say so earlier? They could have saved a lot of time, money and people that way, couldn't they? What did Corrin and Azura have to gain from keeping this whole thing a secret?

What did they have to lose?

When the doors to the throne room open, Leo is in complete shock. "How could…?" is all he manages to utter, as he watches putrid slime with a mind of its own make a mess of the floor. It's _disgusting._

Garon's body is hollow, as is the feeling in Leo's chest when he looks upon the mucky exterior of the man he calls father. Although this monster towers over him menacingly, he can't seem to grasp the reality that this… _thing_ and his father are one. How could something like this have happened? _When_ did it happen?

But why did Corrin and Azura wait until now to say something to them? Didn't those two know how much they cared for their father? How are they supposed to take up arms against him? Leo can't bring himself to do so, not even when his father raises his weapon to strike him and his siblings.

The fresh wound on his body aches terribly, and his mind has gone into such a state of confusion that his head begins to throb. All he can manage to do is weakly ask "Why?" Who is he even asking? His siblings? His father? The gods? Someone has to have the answers he's looking for.

And yet, no one answers him, and he's forced to stare into the horrific eyes of the monster that Corrin and Azura keep claiming to be his father. Whatever has happened to him, he's still their father, isn't he? Leo isn't sure if he can do this. Brynhildr leaves his trembling fingers, and hits the throne room floor with a thud.

As delusional as the thought is, there has to be some way to save his father, isn't there? This isn't the end. It can't be. And yet, Leo watches as his father raise his arm to strike again. Leo clenches his fist, squeezes his eyes shut, and in a raw, hoarse voice, he manages to cry out "Father," pleading for him to stop.

When the pain doesn't hit, his eyes snap open, only to be met by maroon ones filled with concern. "L-Leo!" she squeaks.

"Sakura…?" he mumbles.

Her hands move towards his face. "Y-you're crying," she says as her thumbs wipe the tears away. Leo wasn't even aware that he'd been crying. "Wh-what happened?"

"My father," says Leo, barely audible. It's hard to talk about how horrified he was, and how much he hurt – how much his own father made him bleed. However difficult, he tells Sakura every last detail of this nightmare. She responds by holding his hand, gently squeezing it whenever he gets choked up.

It's somewhat of a comfort through this haze of fear and sorrow he's currently experiencing. "…He raised his weapon at me one more time, and then I woke up." Leo sighed.

"W-wait… you didn't finish y-your dream?" she asks. He shakes his head. Is he supposed to? "You have to f-finish your dream, Leo. Ending right in the middle of it doesn't sound good at all."

"You don't understand," he tells her. "I can't do it. I won't do it. I don't want to dream about something so horrible… I mean, my own father? How does that happen, Sakura?"

"P-please, listen to me," she speaks. "You c-can't stay awake forever, the dream w-will come back. You h-have to finish it… a-and when you do, I'll be right here when you wake up, and we can talk about it if you want. You don't have to face them alone, o-okay?"

Once again, she never fails to put him at ease. The panic set in his chest is gone, and he feels like he's breathing somewhat easier now. "Okay," he says finally. "I trust you."

Her smile, as gentle as the way she rests her forehead on his own, makes his heart stir. He squeezes her hand, closes his eyes, and lets out a slow breath. The dreams won't get any less painful, but having Sakura by his side makes up for it.

* * *

During the first snowfall of the semester, Leo finds himself enjoying the company of all his roommates, something he hasn't done in quite a while. He listens to their conversations (some are casual while others are a bit raunchy) and throws in his two cents wherever he feels it's necessary.

Somehow, the moment they share is rather bittersweet. They don't have long to hang out like this before they all graduate, and Leo will truly miss moments like these. However, just the thought of admitting it to them leaves a terrible taste in his mouth. Especially since he knows how much they'll blow proper human emotions out of proportion.

"And I just want to point out that for Laslow's first time playing DnD, he was a natural," says Odin with a smile full of pride. "And you looked like you were having so much fun!"

"Oh, did you now?" asks Niles.

Laslow scratches the back of his head sheepishly. "I won't lie, I did have fun. It was a wrong move on my end to put off playing with you and everyone else for so long."

Leo lowers his book. "I didn't know you'd be interested in that sort of thing, Laslow. I'm a little surprised."

"Me too, actually," he says just before his phone buzzes on the coffee table before him. He reaches for it, and Leo watches as his eyes light up, as if he's remembered something important. "Oh yeah! I've got work to get done soon."

Niles scoffs. "Work? What work could you possibly need to get done?"

"For your information, I have a presentation to prepare for with Sakura, so butt out," Laslow grimaces before he turns to face Leo once more. "And speaking of Sakura, I know you said everything was alright between the two of you now, but I've been wondering how that happened for the longest time."

Leo's brow creases. "What do you mean? We just made up."

"Aww, now you're holding out on us!" Odin cried. "The freaky stuff with those bizarre dreams! What'd she say about those?"

Right. Leo knew he'd have to clear up the entire dream situation sooner or later, but how are his friends going to believe him when he says that this whole time, he's been dreaming of some sort of past life? He straightens up on the couch and closes his book. He opens his mouth to speak, but the words are so difficult to find. "Well…"

"Go on," Niles urges.

"I think you'll find it hard to believe if I tell you what Sakura told me," Leo says. "I mean, I almost didn't believe her at first."

Odin snorts. "Are you kidding? This is like something straight outta my paranormal comic books! If there's even the slightest chance something like this is real, I'm all for it."

"Yeah, because you also believe in stuff like aliens and Big Foot," Laslow comments offhandedly. Then his eyes widen. "Not that I think what whatever you have to say is untrue Leo!"

"It's fine, I took no offence by it," Leo says. Thinking back to the night he and Sakura made up, Leo doesn't know what to think about it. There's a sense of relief at the way things turned out of course, but he remembers how terribly confusion plagued his mind that night as well.

And of course there was the feeling of guilt when he found out how much grief he'd caused her, but Leo tries not to think about it anymore. "That night, when we spoke for the first time, she actually told me that she didn't have dreams like I did. In fact, she never dreamt of anything like that in her life."

Niles scratches his chin. "But couldn't it be that she just doesn't remember her dreams – oh wait. That whole thing with your brother. Never mind."

"Wait, then how is that possible?" Laslow asks. "She shouldn't know what's going on in your dreams, right?"

"See, that's where it gets weirder," Leo says. "When I expressed how confused I was, she was shocked, and then told me that my dreams were actually a reality."

The silence that envelops the room is nerve-racking, and Leo begins to wish he'd never said anything in the first place. Then Odin speaks up, "Woah, woah, woah, wait! You mean like the you now is some sort of reincarnation?"

That thought hadn't really occurred to him. Him? A reincarnation of Prince Leon? Leo had never even heard of a prince like that before his dreams. Is he in any history books? Maybe Xander can tell him something about this. "I… guess I am? That's what it sounds like, right?"

"But how do you know it's all true?" Laslow asks. "How'd she even get you to believe her? For someone like you, seeing is believing."

"All the signs were right in front of me though. Everything just clicked when she told me that I dreamt of a reality," he answers. It at least explains Sakura's actions when the two of them first met, and that whole name flub over the summer. "That, and it got even harder to ignore when she told me her brother had those dreams too, and confirmed when Xander looked so shocked when I brought it up a while ago."

"Xander knows about it too?" Niles cuts in quickly, and the surprise on his face is evident. "What kind of phenomenon is this?"

Leo shrugs. "Xander is actually looking into what causes the dreams and why certain people remember things while others don't. Since he wasn't able to talk about it freely without sounding weird, he wasn't really able to get far in his research."

Just as Laslow opens his mouth to speak, the alarm on his phone goes off, and he fumbles with it before he's able to turn it off. "I have to go meet up with Sakura," he says. "But you'll fill me in on everything when I get back, right?"

"Sure, I don't see why not," he says before watching Laslow gather all of his things and head out the door. As soon as he's gone, Odin quickly turns the conversation back to Leo's dreams.

"So, when you told us about the last time, you said we were all in it, right?" Odin says. "Tell me about it!"

"I'm not sure if I should tell you in detail," Leo warns him. "Xander told me that some dreams can be triggered by certain keywords or phrases. I don't want to burden you with that."

Odin shakes his head. "I don't mind at all! I'm dying to know what kind of guy I was in a past life. Were we close? Was I some type of royalty?"

His exuberance manages to make Leo smile. It couldn't hurt to give a bit of information. "We were close, yes. You were one of my retainers."

"A retainer? Like a… a servant?" Odin asks deflated, which causes Niles to snicker.

"Something like that, so I don't think you were any type of royalty," Leo says. "You were much weirder in my dreams… and you spoke funny. But I could always rely on you… though, you did kind of show up out of nowhere. You and Laslow both, from what I can remember through conversation."

"Wow, you sound real shady," Niles chuckles, much to Odin's annoyance. "So what about me? I don't see myself being much of a prince or anything like that. So what was I up to in that war?"

The thought of Niles' past life compared to his current self is so uncanny. "Well, you were also a retainer of mine. You were missing an eye though, and you used to be a thief."

Through Odin's cackling, Niles mumbles, "A thief, huh? Sounds like a 'me' thing to do."

At least he knew.

"What else did I do?" Niles asks.

"…We had a talk about how we first met. Apparently you broke into the palace with some friends, but they left you as a decoy. And for your punishment, I was to execute you."

Odin and Niles both grimace. "So then… why didn't you?" Niles asks. "It doesn't make sense to keep me alive after that."

"See, I thought the same thing. But when you asked me to kill you, I was interested in why you didn't beg for your life, for some reason," Leo explains. "So, I didn't go through with it. I… or rather, Leon works in weird ways. I can hardly understand him."

As Niles thinks on the information he's been given Odin speaks up again. "So, is it impossible for me to ask you what kind of person Sakura was in a past life?"

It's easy to assume what kind of person Sakura was. Leo's sure she was as gentle as she was sweet. The kind words she gave to Corrin at the banquet despite her troubling situation proved that. She showed tremendous inner strength during the battle at Fort Jinya, and she was certainly compassionate, wanting to heal those wounded soldiers despite being a prisoner.

With the little times they'd interacted, he can easily see what kind of person Sakura was in her past live, and yet at the same time, he feels as if he's barely scratched the surface of her character. He remembers brushing off the thought of the two of them fighting side by side in another life as wishful thinking, but now he truly wishes things could have worked out like that.

It would have saved her a lot of pain, he's sure, and it would have given him the chance to learn more about her in their past life, and he could enjoy learning about her all over again in their current life.

Finally, he says, "Yeah, I couldn't tell you what she was like. Not properly anyway."

And it's quite a shame.

* * *

When Leo thinks of going on a date with Sakura, he can so clearly picture the two of them being as close as they were during Xander's wedding, or how much they laughed together when he'd taken her out for sweets for her birthday. The reality of their first official date is her standing at least a foot away from him, unwilling to make an effort to move.

Last week, when he proposed that they go out on a date, Sakura seemed so enthusiastic about it, especially when he suggested ice skating. Her smile had been so radiant that day when she said the words, "I'd love to." It's only after they enter the skating rink that Leo realizes Sakura doesn't know how to skate since she looks like a newborn deer trying to stand for the first time.

He signals for her to come to him, but when she raises a shaky leg as if she's going to take a step, Leo skates over to her instead and holds her steady. "You are something else, you know that?" Leo says. He wants to keep a straight face, but the look of relief on Sakura's face when he steadies her forces him to crack a smile.

"I'm s-sorry…" she mumbles.

"Why didn't you tell me you didn't know how to skate?" he asks. "We could've done something else instead."

Sakura begins to fiddle with the hem of her coat. "W-well, when you suggested going ice skating, you looked so excited. I… I didn't want to take that from you." Leo sighs. Sakura's always thinking of everyone but herself. Just once, she could try being a little more selfish. "Oh, a-and I wouldn't mind learning…"

"Really now?"

She nods before adding hurriedly, "B-but only if I get to hold onto the wall first!"

A small chuckle escapes him, and he moves to take hold of Sakura's hand. "Alright, we can do that."

"And you'll keep holding my hand, r-right?" Sakura asks, grabbing the wall's railing as soon as she's able to.

"For now, yes," Leo says, and Sakura looks absolutely terrified. "Well how are you supposed to learn if I held your hand the entire time, Sakura?"

"B-but if I did know how to skate, we still would have held hands the entire time, w-wouldn't we?"

Although she makes a very good point, Sakura had already expressed wanting to learn. Leo would be a terrible teacher if he held her hand every step of the way, despite wanting to. When he argues his point, she sighs, and mumbles something about not wanting to learn anymore.

It's a little too late for that now.

As they skate along the wall of the ice rink, Sakura asks Leo how he even learned to skate in the first place. He smiles. "What? Doesn't seem like something boring old Leo would be into?"

She shakes her head. "I-I didn't mean it like that! Sheesh… when you say it like that, it sounds pretty mean…"

"I'm only teasing, Sakura," Leo says. "I actually learned to skate when I was fairly young. Camilla taught me back when I still lived with my mother." Garon would take Leo on the weekends, and Leo remembers how much he preferred being with his father than his mother. He could spent time with his older siblings, and Garon would sometimes take them out to see a show or to a restaurant for dinner.

Things over at his father's home just felt more tightknit and comfortable – like how a true family is supposed to feel.

"Did they take pictures of you skating?" Sakura asks. She lets out a small giggle when Leo nods. "I wish I could see them."

Maybe one day, if he introduces her to the rest of his family, Camilla would take it upon herself to show Sakura their entire family album. They'd all love her, he's certain of it, but Leo wonders how long it would take Sakura to be truly comfortable around them after all that's happened in their past life – especially his father.

The grip on her hand becomes firmer, and Sakura looks at him with concern in her eyes. "Is something wrong, Leo?"

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing…" he tells her.

Sakura looks a tad skeptical of him. "Are you sure?"

"Of course," he says. "Actually, I was thinking it's time we move away from the wall."

"Wh-what?" she asks as Leo moves to stand before her, taking both of her hands in his own. "B-but I'm not ready yet!"

Despite her protests, Leo guides her around the rink, making sure not to get too close to any of the walls. They spend a considerable amount of time at the skating rink, and don't leave until Sakura can actually skate to him without falling on her butt. She's now able to say that she's learned how to skate, even if she still is very wobbly.

As the two of them sit on the bench to take off their skates, Sakura says that next time, she'll be able to skate without falling.

"Next time?" Leo asks. "So you did enjoy yourself. What happened to 'I never want to do this again' huh?"

She gives him a sheepish smile, and her cheeks redden just slightly. "I'd like to do this again. I had so much fun today, e-even if I did fall a couple of times."

The two of them begin to laugh, which Leo is grateful for, because he's sure he'd have made her cry if he laughed as soon as she hit the ice. When their laughter dies down, Leo dons a more serious expression as he takes hold of Sakura's hand. For once, he's got the warmer hands between the two of them.

"If I asked you on another date, what would you say?"

He can tell that he's caught her off guard with the way her eyes widen in surprise. Her gaze softens, and the corners of her mouth tug upwards into a gentle smile. "I'd say yes… in a heartbeat."

"And if I told you that I wanted to be your boyfriend?" he asks as he wraps his arm around her waist.

"What would you say then?"

"I would…" her voice trails off, and Leo can see how quickly her eyes lose their heartfelt gaze. "I'd ask you if you were sure… b-being with some like me."

It pains him to see Sakura always so down on herself. Why can't she see just how amazing of a person she is? "I think that's my line. I'm not one to play silly little games, you should know this by now. I really do like you, Sakura. I have for a while now."

She closes her eyes momentarily, and takes a steady breath in, and then out. When she opens her eyes, she still looks… uncertain. "I like you too, Leo. I just… n-nothing like this has ever happened to me before, s-so I'm not sure if I'd be any good at this…"

_Not even in her past life?_ Leo thinks. How peculiar. He's sure she'd have a couple suitors ready to take her hand in marriage, either for political reasons or for the fact that she's simply lovely. "If we feel the same way about each other, then what's stopping us, Sakura?"

"If… if you're as serious about me as you say… then I'm yours," she says so tenderly, and that heartfelt look in her eyes returns once more.

Upon hearing those words, Leo's heart pounds against his chest rapidly. "Finally," he wants to cry out, but his mouth makes no movements to do so. Instead, he lets go of her hand to rest on the side of her face as he leans into her. His eyes close, his lips part ever so slightly, and when he presses them against hers, all he can think is _finally._

It's slow and chaste. It's sweet, and Leo can't help but smile and pull away to chuckle when he can feel that Sakura has no idea where she should be putting her hands. After she gets over the shock of her first kiss, a giggle bubbles up from the pit of her stomach, and the two of them can't stop laughing.

"One… one more time," Sakura says quietly with flushed cheeks. "I want to try one more time."

A small laugh leaves his lips before he gently brushes his hand against the side of her face, and leans in to kiss her a second time. This time, her hands have securely found a place on his chest while his free hand rests on her waist. If she's as keen on learning to kiss as she is skating, Leo can definitely get used to this.

* * *

Garon is as fair skinned as Leo is. He's a big, burly man who, with calloused hands, works hard to provide for his children. The wrinkles under his eyes and around his lips have become visible now, and they deepen with each rich bout of laughter he gives. He looks exactly how he's supposed to, and yet, there's an eerie feeling in the pit of Leo's stomach every time he looks at his father.

Although he knows how silly he's being, his anxiety keeps him wondering if at any moment he decides to look away, his father will turn into that disgusting slime monster that continues to haunt him. There's always that steady breath of relief when Leo looks into Garon's home office, or in the living room and sees that his father isn't a monster with his mind and soul still intact.

Just looking at him sit on the couch opposite of him keeps him calm.

"Leo, why are you staring at me?" Garon asks his youngest son with a creased brow. The question breaks his concentration, and partially startles him. Leo doesn't mean to stare, but he can't help it. An irrational part of him is so sure that his father will become the soulless shell of a man he loves and respects.

But there's no way on earth he can convey this to someone who probably doesn't know what happened in his own past life, and for his father's sake, Leo would like to keep it that way. "Uh, I… wasn't aware that I was staring, Father. I'm sorry."

Garon lets out a low laugh. "Heh, finals must've hit you hard this time around. You seem tired."

"A little," Leo says. "But as usual, it's nothing that I can't handle."

"That's my boy," Garon smiles, and a feeling of pride gently washes over him. There is no fussing or theatrics to it. He says it with such genuine confidence, because he's confident in Leo's abilities, and this in turn makes Leo smile as well. "You should get going to bed. Camilla's been talking about wanting to go Christmas shopping tomorrow."

With the way she is, they'd need to wake up at the crack of dawn.

Leo removes himself from the couch, wishes his father a good night, and makes his way to his bedroom, where he lies on his back and stared up at the ceiling. He wonders why that dream of his father bothers him so much. It's been a while since he's had it – late October if he remembers correctly.

Since then, Leo has already dreamt of the end of the war. Relief and joy. Those are the feelings he remembers swirling around in Leon's chest at Marx's coronation. They're the same feelings that fill Leo's chest as well when he remembers Sakura's lovely smile at the event. The dreams don't come anymore. Not since that day.

He's been getting a good night's sleep lately. The only dreams Leo ever gets anymore are strange, and all he can remember are bits and pieces of them when he wakes up – just like normal dreams. Most of the time, all he remembers is that he's had one, and every detail of the dream is long forgotten.

Leo closes his eyes and breathes outwards slowly. Sleepiness begins to creep up on him seemingly out of nowhere, and when he awakens, he notices that the sky is still dark. Still, he feels well-rested enough to bathe, dress himself and head down to the courtyard. Despite his duties, there's enough time to have a look around in the castle's rose garden – it soothes him.

Just as Leo passes the throne room, his brother's voice, laced in astonishment, catches his attention. There's a silence so troubling that Leo almost walks into the throne room to check, but Xander's dismissal of one of their servants causes him to hold off on doing so for just a bit longer.

"Marx," Leo speaks. As he stands before the new king, Leo can see the distraught look on his face so clearly.

"Ah, Leon," he manages a smile. "Good morning to you."

He nods. "Good morning to you as well. If I may ask Marx, is everything alright?"

His brother straightens his posture on the throne, and gives a heavy sigh. "No, everything is not fine. I've just received word that a terrible tragedy has befallen the people of Hoshido."

Leo's eyes widen slightly. What could possibly be wrong with Hoshido now? The war between them has been over for many months now. "What's happened to the people of Hoshido?" Leo inquires.

"…Please don't let this get to Corrin. At least, not yet," Xander says, and all Leo can do is nod his head. "The Hoshidans… they've lost their princess."

Lost their princess?

Lost her in what way? Has she gone missing? Kidnapped? Leo's not sure that they have the funds to aid them in after such an expensive war. "What… happened to the princess?"

"I was told that she'd been missing one morning," Xander explains. "The royal guards scoured the entire place looking for her, only for them to find her body at the shallow end of a river…"

Xander's lips keep moving, but Leo can't hear a word he's saying anymore. There's a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach, as if bile threatens to make its way past his throat and out of his mouth. His pupils are dilated, sweat dampens his forehead, and his fingers are trembling – out of what, he isn't sure.

The only word that slips through his dry lips are a soft, incredulous sounding, "What?"

But the question is never answered. Marx is no longer there, and Leo is himself again. Once the realization hits him, tears fall freely as he sits up in bed, attempting to put all the pieces together, and when he does, a rage like no other surges through him. Leo asked Xander if Sakura was okay, and Xander told him nothing. He couldn't even spare a single tip.

And Sakura… she _knew_ all this would happen. She knew it, and all she ever gave him was that "let the dreams run their course" bullshit. Is he not allowed to know? Not allowed to care about what went on in their past life? How could the two of them withhold information like that?

Apart of him wants to grab his phone and call her at this ridiculous hour in the morning to ask her just what her problem was. Another part of him doesn't want anything to do with her at the moment. Nothing at all. And through his silent rage, Leo can't help but wonder if he's just one of the many reasons they found her at the shallow end of the river.

His hands clutch his hair, and he begins to grit his teeth. His toes begin to curl into the fabric of his sheets, and for a while, Leo stays in that position, left to think about how Sakura felt as she plunged into the river.

The thought is maddening.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so it ends. I was stressing out about this chapter a lot but I think it came together in the end. Shout out to Rapis-Razuri for being an angel by being my beta. I'm 85% sure I drove you up a wall haha.
> 
> Enjoy.

 

Even after Christmas, the multicolored lights and yards of tinsel still shimmer and sparkle as they decorate houses that are miles away. At one time, Leo thought them to be beautiful and wondrous, and would find himself gazing at them for a while. When he'd gotten older, he's allow himself to spare a glance every now and again.

This year, however, he isn't feeling the holiday spirit. Not after his dream of Sakura's death.

She texts him often – sending him messages like "I hope you're having a good time with your family," and "I miss you." A few times, she's even sent cute pictures of her wearing a Santa hat or in a shop, holding a mug with some witty joke she thinks he'll like. But no matter how adorable she is, Leo can't bring himself to say anything more than "Thanks, you too," while he avoids telling her that he misses her too.

It's hard for him to decide if he really does miss her when the dream from a few nights ago still gets him so heated. She is the last person Leo wants to talk to, both because of how upset he is with her and because he doesn't want to yell and fight with her. Instead, he takes out his frustrations on his brother – though not on purpose.

All the negativity and suppressed anger seems to be exerted as soon as he sets foot in Xander's house the day after Christmas, as he carelessly tosses the gift that Camilla has so carefully wrapped for him to his brother. Xander catches it with ease, but confusion shows across his features as his eyes dart from Leo to the gift, and then back to Leo.

"Merry late Christmas or whatever," he grumbles as he shoves his hands back into his pockets.

"Uh, thank you?" Xander says, uncertain. He sets the gift on top of a nearby table. "Though, I could do without that attitude of yours."

"Funny," Leo shoots back with a fake smile. "I could've done without the time where you withheld important information from me, but here we are."

Xander's gaze hardens the same time as Leo's does. If Xander didn't spend the holidays over at his in-law's house, Leo most likely would have confronted him about his most recent dream then. Maybe this is for the better. The last thing Leo needs is to have their family overhear him becoming genuinely upset over something that sounds like fiction.

"Leo, I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about," Xander said, patience already wearing thin. "Care to enlighten me?"

His lips curl upwards, almost into a scowl before he says, "'Oh, the Hoshidans – they've lost their princess!' 'Oh, it's best if you let things happen naturally!' Is that enlightening enough for you?"

Xander pinches the bridge of his nose and lets out a sigh of exasperation. "Ah, so this is what the attitude is all about. Leo–" he begins, but is unable to finish.

"Don't treat this like this is some silly little temper tantrum, Xander, because it's not," he warns. "I asked you if she was okay, and you told me nothing. You could have at least told me that she didn't survive very long after the war or something!"

"No, I couldn't have told you that," says Xander.

"And why not?"

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe I shouldn't be the one speaking of things that Sakura purposely didn't tell you?" he asks. "It's not my business to disclose, it's hers. So, if you're angry, why don't you try talking to her?"

Leo lets out a sigh, running a hand through his blond hair. "Because I don't want to talk to her right now. I'm going to say something I don't mean, and it'll be worse than the ridiculous name flub situation." And he'll be damned if he screws up his relationship with Sakura all because he can't keep his cool.

"So, taking it out on me is the next best thing, is it?" Xander asks.

Leo's eyes widen in shock for a moment. "Xander, I'm not taking out on you… or, I wasn't trying to. Ugh, I'm sorry. It's just so infuriating to be continuously left out of the loop." Sakura and Xander know everything while Leo still struggles to understand and sometimes even accept his past life. It's all unfair – to go his entire life without sickening dreams of war and bloodshed, only to be told that those nightmares are a reality in some twisted past life.

"It's alright," says Xander. "I understand how frustrating it must be. The dreams happened out of nowhere for you, and we kept you in the dark for a while. I'm sorry about that." He pauses. "Remember when I said I'd try to explain everything to you as best as I can? I might not be able to tell you anything about Sakura, but if you ask about anything else, I can try."

He folds his arms, trying to think of one of the many questions he's had in the span of over a year. "About father," he begins, voice quiet. "Can you tell me what happened to him? All I got from those dreams was he was a monster the whole time, and that's it."

"I don't even know all the facts, but I'll tell you everything I know," says Xander. His explanation doesn't answer each question Leo has, but that's okay. His questions don't stop at the topic of their father, however. Leo asks about the purpose of the war, if he knew about the disappearance of Odin and Laslow afterwards, and even about Corrin and Azura.

Corrin and Azura are an even bigger mystery in this life than in their past life. Xander thought to search for the two of them, but gave up on it. If they're content in their lives right now, then he has no reason to interfere. Leo can't help but wonder if the two of them are closer than they think.

* * *

Sakura is a smart woman.

She's usually on top of her school work, and always has these brilliant ideas that Leo never gets tired of hearing. She's able to read people's emotions properly and overlooks nothing, taking every detail into consideration. It should have come as no surprise when she calls him one night, and asks if everything between them is okay, because she feels as though Leo has been a little distant lately.

But of course, she ends her statement with, "Or, maybe I'm just overthinking things… I-I'm really sorry if that's the case." Ever so doubtful even when she's in the right, as usual.

"You're not wrong," Leo speaks after a long pause. "I had one of those… dreams recently. I didn't really feel like talking to anyone after I had it."

"Oh, Leo…" she starts, her voice filled with anxiousness now replaced with warmth. "I'll always be here to talk about them with you. You don't have to face them alone."

"You've said this to me before, but sometimes I have to wonder if you're actually sure about that." When she expresses her confusion, Leo continues. "Why didn't you tell me that they happened to find you face down at the shallow end of some river?"

Leo can hear Sakura gasp on the other end of the line. "W-Was that where I ended up…?"

He can't tell if she's asking him or herself. "Do you not remember what happened to you?"

"I… I don't remember hitting water," she says, "b-but I remember falling." This was getting ridiculous. Was she pushed? Kidnapped and tossed away? Those scenarios seem so unlikely when she died in her own kingdom, where the people should have worshiped the very ground she walked on. When he takes a sharp intake of air, Sakura shakily asks, "Are you mad at me?"

"I won't lie to you. I am."

She sniffles. "A-Are you going to break up with me?"

"No," he answers quickly. "Of course not, Sakura. Why would you even ask me that?" One of the reasons he's been so distant is to avoid a big argument and a possibly messy break up. After all they've been through, simply walking away from her wasn't an option for Leo.

"I… b-because it sounded like that was where things were headed," she spoke. "I-I didn't think that you'd start getting dreams after the war was over…"

"So you thought you hide your death from me forever, is what you're saying," he speaks, his tone dull.

"N-No, that's not true!" she squeaks. "I just… I d-don't like thinking about it. I'm sorry."

Leo takes a deep breath in, then exhales. "No, it's fine. I'm not expecting an apology from you. I – I'm more upset about the fact that it happened, and I feel that way because I care about you, Sakura. I just want to know what happened to you."

"Can we… um, c-can we talk about it another time? I-I think this might be easier to talk about i-in person."

But he can't wait until classes start up again just to talk to her. It'll take too long. "Then I'll come see you in a few days, and we'll talk about it then."

"You're coming to see me?" Sakura asks, astonished. "A-As in, you're coming over to my house?"

Where else would he be going? "Yes. It shouldn't be a problem, should it? Unless I'm not allowed over because your brother still has it out for me."

He can hear shuffling, and then in a whisper, she spoke, "M-My family doesn't know that I have a boyfriend yet s-so… you know… a-and Shirasagi takes forever to get to. You'd waste half a day getting here…"

"Sakura, you're going to be 19 this April. I'm sure your family can handle a guy coming over to see you – you're old enough," says Leo. "And listen, driving out to come see you isn't a waste. It's important. You're important. So, unless you actually mind, I'm going to see you."

"Leo…" The way she says his name is so sweet. "Okay. I'll be waiting for you. O-Oh, and Leo?"

"Yes?"

"I miss you…"

There's something about the way she says it that makes him feel warm inside. "I miss you too." And when he says it, he means it.

* * *

It's officially the new year when Leo sets out to visit Sakura's hometown, and the change in weather is so drastic upon his arrival. Snow covered the sidewalks and rooftops near his home. Elise even jokes that he'll have to shovel his way out of the door if he wants to go anywhere today. Snow is breathtaking when looking at it, but a terrible inconvenience when you need to get somewhere, Leo concludes.

In Shirasagi, the snow barely dusts the streets. The sun melts away the ice that has been here since the last snowfall, and everything is slushy and brown. Not the prettiest sight to behold, but it makes driving easier. Once, during his second year of college, Leo and Niles had taken a day trip here because Niles insisted on having authentic Hoshidan food.

The day trip ended up turning into a weird weekend in which the two got a little too drunk and were forced to share a motel room together. It's something Niles brings up once in a blue moon that Leo would rather not talk about. Instead, Leo wants to make new memories here, and taking Sakura out for a date after making up with her sounds like it'd be a wonderful memory.

When he reaches the front door of her house, his nerves start to set in. He's so focused on getting to talk to Sakura that he didn't think about who would be opening the door. If her family is as protective of her as that brother of hers is, Leo prays that it isn't her father he runs into. He rings the doorbell, and recites what he'll say to her father should he open the door.

Of course, he can't call himself Sakura's boyfriend, especially when she hasn't mentioned having one. Then again, what if after their conversation a few days ago, Sakura did tell her family about him? It'll make him look like a jerk if he refers to himself as her friend. While he spends time with his arms folded, thinking of a plan, the door opens suddenly, and it almost startles him.

He's met with inquiring brown eyes and a head of unkempt, red hair. It's strange. His mind automatically calls her the queen of Hoshido, but that isn't right. Hinoka, he remembers the name as it fell from Sakura's lips with warmth. Her name is Hinoka. The silence between them isn't long before she furrows her brow and says, "Look, our computer works just fine, we just switched cable companies, both my parents have health insurance, and we really don't wanna buy whatever you're selling."

"What?" Leo asks, dumbfounded. He shakes his head. "No, no. I'm not here to sell you anything. My name's Leo, and I'm a friend of Sakura's… is she home?"

"Oh!" she cries with a look of surprise on her face. "Sorry about that! We just get so many sales people around here so I'm sorry for assuming. Uh, Sakura huh?" Her eyes narrow at him. "…Give me a sec to go get her."

When the front door closes, Leo lets out a small sigh. He hadn't been expecting Hinoka of all people to answer the door, but this is probably one of the better scenarios. He shuddered to think what would happen if Takumi was the one to open the door and cause a fuss. It wasn't long before Sakura rushed out of the door, almost knocking into him.

"Leo! Why didn't you call and tell me you were here?" She sounds a bit panicked, but Leo isn't sure why.

"I called you three times already. You didn't pick up," he says.

Sakura digs into her coat pocket and pulls out her phone, eyes widening in surprise when she looks at the screen. "O-Oh… you really did call me. I'm sorry! I knew you were coming and I was all over the place. Um, w-we're not going to stay here and talk, are we?"

"No, why would we?" he asks. "If it's okay with you, let's just get in the car and go–"

"Okay!" Sakura cries as she walks past him. "Hinoka is watching from the upstairs window, so we have to leave right now." Leo starts to look up towards the window, only for Sakura to say, "No! Don't look at her. Pretend like I never told you anything and let's at least just get in the car."

"…Alright then," he says before following her to his car. Once they're inside, Leo turns to look at his girlfriend as she breathes a sigh of relief. "So, it's safe to assume you didn't tell your family about me."

She gasps. "N-No, they know who you are. They just don't know that we're a couple. M-My sister was questioning me about you when she came back in, about why you came all the way out here just to see me and all, a-and she wasn't buying the whole 'he's a really good friend who drove hours just to come hang out with me' thing, s-so I ran…"

A low chuckle escapes him. "You're terrible under pressure."

"I know…" she says meekly as the two of them drive off. Once they're a good distance away from her home, Sakura looks over at him as she fidgets with her fingers. "Um, so… where did you want to go?"

"You're the one who lives here," says Leo. "You tell me."

"We agreed to talk today so someplace quiet would be nice…" she says. "Oh, there's a park not too far from where we are now. We can go there and take a walk."

He nods, and lets Sakura guide him to the park. She tells him about how pretty it is during the spring, when the flowers are all in bloom, and reluctantly asks him to visit during spring break if he can. He agrees in a heartbeat. Leo has only seen pictures of the city during the spring time, and has always wanted to experience those annual spring festivals.

Now, he can experience them with her.

After Leo finds a suitable parking spot, the two of them walk hand in hand into the park. The paths are cleared, making them easier to walk on, but there are still patches of snow and ice in the soil. The shrubs, or what's left of them, barely look alive. Leo takes his eyes off of them to look at Sakura, who watches the path ahead of her. He squeezes her hand gently, and when he has her attention, he asks, "Are you ready to tell me what happened?"

Her teeth sink into her bottom lip. "I… I don't know where to start."

"Tell me why it happened."

"Okay," she breathes. "A-After the war, I really missed my brothers. I was s-so miserable. Hinoka was queen, and with the aftermath of the war, she was so busy. W-We rarely had time to talk and I felt so lonely. I'm… not sure what happened to me. Over the course of a few months, I couldn't motivate myself to get out of bed or eat properly, no matter how many times my retainers begged me to. I just… existed."

As she speaks, Leo feels a tightness in his chest, and it isn't a good feeling. Her pain, her sorrow; it sounds to him that they smothered her each day. He watches her wrack her brain to find an adequate word for what she's felt, but he knows exactly what it is. Then there is a sudden feeling of guilt, because he had an indirect part in the heartache she's been through.

Sakura continues, "I-I spent most of my time alone, crying about my brothers and about my mother. And then one night I… I snuck out of my bedroom and I took a walk around the outside of the castle. Th-There was this cliff side I came across but I couldn't see what was below it. I thought about it… wh-what it would be like if I fell…"

"And then you jumped," Leo finished, almost bitterly.

"I-I didn't mean to!" Sakura cried. "…I mean… I-I did mean to but… as soon as my feet left the ground, I regretted it."

Slowly, Leo asks, "And why is that?"

"I… Hinoka," is all she manages to say before getting choked up. Leo gives her hand a comforting squeeze, and she belatedly returns it. "I was stupid. I l-left my sister all alone. I knew she was sad over Ryoma and Takumi's death a-and I still… I gave her another life to mourn over. I'm a t-terrible sister."

"You don't really think that your sister resents you for that, do you?"

She shrugs. "M-Maybe not anymore, b-but that's only because she doesn't remember anything…"

"Sakura, even if Hinoka did remember, she could never be mad at you for it. You're her sister." He pauses. "What if the shoe were on the other foot? Don't tell me you'd start hating your sister just because she went into depression committed suicide, because I know you wouldn't."

She lets out a small, shaky sigh. "Of course I wouldn't, b-but… Hinoka's so much stronger than I am. E-Even in the face of weakness, she'd never–"

"You don't know that for sure," Leo says, gaze hardened. "You of all people should know how easy it is to fall into despair, and how easy it is to act on dark thoughts that hound you every day. You're strong… you still remember all the trauma you went through in that past life so clearly, and you've kept it to yourself for so long. I would have never thought you'd do something like that but… it happens."

His arms reach out to pull her into an embrace, and she immediately wraps her arms around him, resting the side of her face on his chest. "She wasn't angry with you. I'm not angry with you."

After a moment of silence, Sakura speaks, "You know, I can't apologize to her about what happened but… I try to make up for it by trying harder for us to be closer. I-I don't know if I'm only acting this way because I feel guilty or because I really want to be closer to her but… I want her to know how much I love her."

"She knows you do, I'm sure," says Leo, ever so slightly tightening his embrace. "She did back then and she does now."

He can hear her let out a long exhale before she mumbles, "I-If you say so, then I'll believe you." There's a small pause between them, then she tentatively asks, "Um, s-speaking of siblings… h-how's Corrin?"

Leo removes himself from her, brow furrowing in confusion. "You mean… he's not with you?"

Now Sakura is stunned. "N-No… I thought he was with you… you know, b-because of how everything turned out in the past…"

"Other than in my dreams… the name doesn't mean anything to me." Leo can feel how much Prince Leon cares for Corrin but, in this life, Corrin is someone he's thought heavily about on occasion. Then, something dawns on him. "Wait, isn't he your brother? Why isn't he with you?"

"I… my mother, Queen Mikoto, wasn't my actual mother… but back then, I thought that we were at least related by father," she speaks. "B-But he's not here, a-and my birth mother is with me in this life… s-so m-maybe we weren't related… which makes all my crying about this whole thing just silly, huh?"

Leo is silent for a while. Then he cracks a smile, and he can't help the bout of laughter that escapes him. Sakura's eyes widen. "L-Leo? Why are you laughing? What's so funny?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. It's just," he takes a moment to catch his breath, "this person who was the staple in our lives in another life… he's not even a part of our lives now. And here we are, wondering if he's okay in the other person's family." Honestly, it was causing them undue stress.

Sakura blinks. Soon, her face scrunches up, as if she's trying not to smile, but she fails. "This life is so… strange. But, I'm glad that I'm a part of it." Her smile falters. "Do you think we'll get to meet him in this life? O-Or maybe even another one?"

"I don't doubt it," he says. "Why? Do you want to see him again?"

"I… I do," she nods. "If he remembered everything that happened to us then, I'd want to talk to him… b-but not about the past. I think that I've made my peace with him on that that now. If I could meet him in this life, I'd tell him that I'm a lot happier now, and I'd wish him the same happiness that I've been feeling."

Leo takes hold of hand, his fingers filling the spaces between hers as the two of them return to their walk around the park. "So, tell me. What's been making you happy?"

"Oh! Well, I've made some really great friends recently… and I think my family spoiled me with gifts this year…" her voice begins to trail off. "A-And I have a boyfriend who I was thinking of asking to take me to a sweets shop later on..."

Leo's lips curve into smirk. "You ask, but you know that I can't say no to you."

As he looks at the coy smile on her face, Leo thinks about how incredibly lucky the two of them are to be together in this life.


End file.
